Author: Virginia Martin
Republicans Back Ivey to Return to Governor’s Seat, GOP Senate Race Headed to Runoff
It looks like Gov. Kay Ivey has won the Republican nomination for governor without a runoff, despite having eight opponents.
At 11 p.m., she had more than 55% of the vote. Lindy Blanchard was a distant second with slightly more than 19% of the vote. Tim James was the only other candidate with double-digit support, clocking in with slightly less than 16% of the vote.
On the Democratic side, it appears Yolanda Rochelle Flowers and Malika Sanders Fortier will face each other in a runoff June 21. They ended the day in a virtual tie with about 33% of the vote each.
The race for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate also appears to be going to a runoff. Katie Britt was the leader with about 45% of the vote, and Mo Brooks trailed with less than 29% of the vote. But she did not get the 50% + 1 votes needed to win the nomination outright.
Wil Boyd easily captured the Democratic nomination with 64% of the vote.
In Jefferson County, Sheriff Mark Pettway appears to have easily won re-nomination with 77% of the vote, and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson reclaimed her seat with more than 86% of the vote.
The general election will be in November.
JeffCo Hears About Juvenile Justice Efforts
The Jefferson County Commission saw an extensive presentation Tuesday morning on the entities involved with youth detention and the juvenile justice system. After hearing about rehabilitation, recidivism and the humanity of the young people in the system, commissioners learned that they’ll have to tune in next time to find out what’s being sought monetarily. Read more.
Voting on the Light Side This Afternoon at Jefferson County Polls
Probate Judge James Naftel spent part of Tuesday afternoon driving around to precincts to check voter turnout and to determine whether there were any problems.
There was one glitch in the morning, when county election staff had to reconnect some precincts that were without Wi-Fi earlier Friday, Naftel said.
As of 2:30, an estimated 45,035 voters, or about 10% of Jefferson County’s registered voters, had voted, although Naftel said that number was tentative and changing throughout the day. Polls close across the county at 7 p.m. Read more.
Birmingham Council Says ‘No’ to Storage Facility
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to deny a rezoning request from developers of a proposed mini-storage facility in the city’s Oxmoor neighborhood after outcry from residents. The proposed development, which would have been at 801 Tom Martin Drive, would have repurposed a property vacated by the Internal Revenue Service in 2018. It would have created 166 new storage units for boats and recreational vehicles as well as a wash bay for those vehicles. Read more.
Alabama Democrats Hope for Improved Showing in 2022 Elections
Republicans hold all statewide offices plus supermajorities in the state legislature. But Alabama Democrats are in a good position this year, according to the head of the Alabama Democratic Party. Read more.
Regional Edward R. Murrow Honors Awarded to WBHM, Gulf States Newsroom
WBHM 90.3 FM and the Gulf States Newsroom won 13 of the 18 regional Edward R. Murrow awards for 2022, including Overall Excellence for WBHM for the second year in a row. Read more.
Voter FAQ
Find your polling place, political districts and other voting information. Read more.
ID You Can Use at the Polls
As COVID Cases Creep Up, Health Officials Advise Watching Local Levels
Federal health officials have moved three northeast Alabama counties out of the COVID community low-risk category into a medium-risk level. The counties are Madison, Jackson and Limestone. The move comes after state health officials have watched the average number of statewide COVID cases grow from 100 a day around the first of May with a 2.5% positivity rate to 400 cases per day with a 9.4% positivity rate this week. Read more.
WBHM Kicks Off 7-Part Podcast on Alabama and Mississippi’s Prison Crises
WBHM’s Mary Scott Hodgin Talks With Brittany Brown of the Gulf States Newsroom About Issues Plaguing Alabama and Mississippi Prisons.
Read more.
