Dean Odle Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 53 Residence: Opelika Political experience: None Professional experience: Founder, Fire & Grace School of Ministry, 2018; founder and senior pastor, Fire & Grace Church, 2009-present Education: Honorary Ph.D., Pilgrims University, 2002, Troy University; Jefferson Davis High School, 1986 Main issues: “My top priorities will be health freedom issues from stopping
Donald Trent Jones Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 39 Residence: Montevallo Political experience: None Professional experience: Co-founder, Yoga & Love Education: Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, University of Montevallo Main issues: Advocating for yoga, mindfulness, healthy living and healthy food Top Contributors: None filed Campaign: facebook.com/trent.jones.5876
Tim James Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 60 Residence: Greenville Political experience: Candidate, Alabama Governor, 2002, 2010 and 2022 Professional experience: President, Tim James Inc.; founder, Baldwin County Bridge Co., 1996-2006; owner and operator, Escambia County Environmental Corp., 1986-96 Civic experience: N/A Education: Auburn University; Baylor School Main issues: Improving Alabama schools; stopping casinos from coming to Alabama;
Kay Ivey Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 77 Residence: Montgomery Political experience: Alabama governor, 2017-present; lieutenant governor, 2014-2017; state treasurer, 2002-2014 Professional experience: Assistant director of Alabama Development Office; reading clerk of the Alabama House of Representatives; bank officer; high school teacher Civic experience: Civic honors include the ALFA Service to Agriculture Award, Newsmax’s 50 Most Influential Female
Stacy Lee George Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 53 Residence: Arab Political experience: Candidate, Governor of Alabama, 2014; Commissioner, Morgan County, 2000-08 Professional experience: Correctional officer, Alabama Department of Corrections, 2009-present; Amtec Corporation, 1997-2000; Wyle Laboratories, 1987 Education: Calhoun Community College; Auburn University; Brewer High School, 1987 Main issues: Improving transparency in Montgomery; developing a Veteran Task
Lew Burdette Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 63 Residence: Birmingham Political experience: None Professional experience: President, King’s Home, 2002-present; CEO and owner, Kindred Inc.; chief operating officer, Books-A-Million, 1985-98 Civic experience: Director of Christian education, First United Methodist Church, Florence, 1982-85 Education: University of Alabama, 1981 Main issues: Ending corruption in state politics, including limiting campaign contributions; implementing
Lindy Blanchard Alabama Governor Party: Republican Age: 62 Residence: Montgomery Political experience: Former candidate, U.S. Senate, 2022; United States ambassador to Slovenia, 2019-21 Professional experience: Founder and former senior adviser, B&M Management Company Civic experience: Founder, 100X Development Foundation, 2004 Education: B.S. in mathematics, Auburn University, 1991 Main issues: Improving education and supporting school choice; fighting critical race
UPDATED — Jefferson County’s chief election official is warning that a new voting security measure will delay returns from the May 24 primary elections. Probate Judge James Naftel said Friday that county officials have worked with Secretary of State officials to find a way to expedite returns. At issue is a new security measure imposed by Secretary of State John Merrill that moves all precinct returns to central computers provided by his office. These two computers cannot be connected to a network and therefore cannot communicate with each other, so there will not be any results released until all precincts have reported and all results are in, Naftel said. Read more.
The next Jefferson County Commission will look very much like the current one as four of the sitting five commissioners have no challenger in the upcoming primary or the general election. Qualifying for the May 24 party primary elections concluded Friday with four of the five incumbents facing no opposition. District 2 Commissioner Sheila Tyson was the lone exception; Steve Small qualified to face her in the Democratic primary. None of the commission seats has a qualifier from the other party in November’s general election. Barring a successful independent or third-party challenge, Republicans Jimmie Stephens (District 3), Joe Knight (District 4) and Steve Ammons (District 5) and Democrat Lashunda Scales (District 1) will remain in office another four years. Stephens and Knight were initially elected in 2010. Scales, Ammons and Tyson were first elected to the commission in 2018. Commissioners questioned Tuesday said the lack of challengers is an endorsement of the work they’ve done. “It says that all five commissioners – not just four – all five commissioners have been working for the betterment of their communities,” said Stephens, the commission president. “We all run in districts, and everyone within those districts are extremely satisfied. They did not see a need to change. “That means that we as a commission are working together to get things done to improve the quality of life for our citizens in Jefferson County,” he continued. “That is indeed what we were elected to do.” Read more.
Candidates have lined up under the Republican and Democratic flags to run for their party nominations for a slate of offices, from U.S. Senate to governor to Jefferson County Commission. Friday was the deadline for candidates to file papers to run in the primary election, which will be May 24, leading up to the Nov. 8 general election. In Jefferson County alone, Democratic voters will have more than 80 candidates to choose from, and Republicans will have more than 60. That doesn’t count candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives. That qualifying deadline has been extended while the courts determine whether the redrawn House districts approved after the 2020 census are constitutional. A three-judge federal court panel ruled that they were not and told the state to redraw them, but the state has appealed that ruling to the U.S. For lists of candidates running in each primary, read more.
