Alabama Criminal Court of Appeals Place 2 J. Elizabeth “Beth” Kellum (I) Party: Republican Residence: Montgomery area Political experience: Elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2008. She worked as a congressional intern for Rep. Walter Flowers in Washington, D.C., in 1978. Professional experience: Began work in 1985 as an assistant attorney general in
U.S. SENATE Tommy Tuberville Age: 65 Political/professional experience: Arkansas State University, assistant football coach, 1980-1984; University of Miami, assistant football coach, 1986-1993; Texas A&M University, assistant football coach, 1994; University of Mississippi, head football coach, 1995-1998; Auburn University, head football coach, 1999-2008; Texas Tech University, head football coach, 2010-2012; University of Cincinnati, head football coach,
U.S. SENATE Jeff Sessions Age: 73. Residence: Mobile. Political/professional experience: U.S. attorney for Southern District of Alabama, 1981-1993; Alabama attorney general, 1995-1997; U.S. Senate, 1997- 2017; U.S. attorney general, February 2017 to November 2018. Education: Huntingdon College; University of Alabama School of Law. Main issues: Controlling the nation’s borders, including a zero-tolerance policy on immigration
A stinging rebuke by President Donald Trump, plus Trump’s endorsement of his election opponent, has left former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions scampering to stay alive in the Republican Senate primary runoff race — and prompting Sessions to write an open letter to Alabama voters, explaining many of his actions while serving as the head of the Department of Justice. Sessions released his letter on Tuesday morning through his campaign website and in emails to the news media, in which he reiterated his support of Trump’s policies and again explained his decision to recuse himself from the investigation of the Trump campaign and allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Read more.
Following are lists of contributors of $5,000 and up to U.S. Senate candidates. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat, faced no opposition from within his party and will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville are candidates for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat, and the winner of their July 14 GOP primary runoff will face Jones in the fall election. Read more.
Tommy Tuberville and Jeff Sessions have been running almost dollar-for-dollar in recent weeks as they raise cash for their campaigns for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate, according to reports they filed this week with the Federal Elections Commission.
Tuberville, a former Auburn University football coach, narrowly led a field of seven candidates in the GOP primary on March 3. He will meet Sessions, who held the Senate seat for almost two decades until he resigned in early 2017 to become President Donald Trump’s first attorney general, in a runoff on July 14. Read more.
See the lists of contributors in the U.S. Senate race.
The outbreak of the new coronavirus has drastically altered the campaigns for Alabama's runoff elections. Originally scheduled for March 31, runoffs for the Republican races for Congress and U.S. Senate are now postponed until July 14. The pandemic and its total consumption of the news cycle have also shifted the narrative for candidates. Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is running for his former seat in the U.S. Senate, has capitalized on the situation to take an aggressive position against China and highlight his foreign policy bonafides. In the runoff, Sessions faces former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, who won 33% of the vote to Sessions' 32% in the March 3 primary election. Todd Stacy of Alabama Daily News interviewed Sessions and talked about his campaign and the issues he is discussing. Read more.
Gov. Kay Ivey today moved Alabama's primary runoff elections from next Tuesday, March 31, until July 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Exercising my extraordinary powers under the Emergency Management Act, I am setting Alabama’s Primary Runoff Election for July 14, 2020,” Ivey said during a news conference this morning. “The ability to hold free and fair elections is an inherent right as citizens of the United States and the great state of Alabama, but the safety and wellbeing of Alabama citizens is paramount." She said recommendations that people practice social distancing and avoid crowds would be difficult to maintain in election day. Read more.
MONTGOMERY -- Sitting Supreme Court Justice Greg Shaw fended off a challenge from state Sen. Cam Ward Tuesday in the Republican primary for his Place 1 seat on the high court. Shaw received 341,442 votes, earning 58.43%, while Ward received 242,913 votes, 41.57%, according to the latest unofficial tally from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. With no Democrat signed up to run, Shaw will be uncontested in the general election on Nov. 3. Read more.
MONTGOMERY -- Alabama voters on Tuesday gave clear-cut victories in two races for appellate judgeships, while sending a third to a runoff. For Place 1 on the Court of Civil Appeals, State Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo, defeated Pelham attorney Phillip Bahakel by 66% to 34%. There is no Democrat running in the November general election. For Place 1 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, incumbent Mary Windom defeated Cullman attorney Melvin Hasting by 70% to 30%. With no Democratic primary opponent, Windom will be uncontested in the general election. For Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, incumbent Beth Kellum will face former Lauderdale County Commissioner Will Smith in a runoff on March 31. There is no Democrat running in the November general election. Read more.
