Alabama Democrats elect Black Belt-based Bobby Singleton as chair

Alabama Democrats on Saturday elected Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton party chair amid calls for the organization to take advantage of the most promising electoral landscape for state Democrats in years.

Singleton, who lives in Greensboro and represents District 24 in the Alabama State Senate, got 165 votes (72.7%) over current Chair Randy Kelley, who got 62 votes (27.3%) in a vote in which the 200-plus members of the State Democratic Executive (SDEC) voted by holding up pieces of paper with “vote” printed on them while other members walked around to count. 

“I want you to know that I hear you, I see you,” Singleton said in a two-minute speech prior to the vote. “We need to make sure that we realize and listen to people. I’m gonna hold listening tours across all 67 counties because I want you to know: Women, I see you, and I hear you. I want the LGBTQ to know that I hear you and I see you. We can no longer sit back and do things in an archaic way.”

The vote, coming amid a potentially promising year for the party, ended a tumultuous tenure for Alabama Democratic Party Chair Randy Kelley, an ally of Joe Reed, the vice chair for minority affairs for the party and a major force among state Democrats. In 2023, the SDEC passed bylaws that eliminated youth, LGBTQ+ and disabled caucuses and reduced the powers of affirmative action; Asian and Pacific Islander; Hispanic; and Native American caucuses “to monitor the affairs of the groups listed.” Most of the minority caucuses were restored in 2024 by order of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). 

The change in leadership also followed weeks of online discourse that ranged from complaints of a lack of election education to accusations of illegal campaign finance practices from former candidates. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, who nominated Singleton, said the party needed a chair that could raise money.

“This is no indictment on anyone, anywhere, because as we leave here today we have to be united no matter what and put our differences to the side as we move forward,” Daniels said. “We cannot let any election go unchallenged on the other side.”

Singleton said in an interview after the election that the change within the party demonstrates frustrations members, candidates and legislators have felt with party leadership.

“I know I was getting frustrated as a member of the legislature when I looked around, and we’re in the middle of battles. There was never the Democratic Party that supported us. I saw the Republican Party support their people,” he said. “I want to bring that same kind of energy and say that we’re at the table.”

Kelley touted the party’s progress during his first term in his opening statement, but said the party needs to expand its reach to churches. 

“If we realized how we had the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Bus Boycott victory of Montgomery, Fair Housing Act, much of that came by social-conscious pastors, Black people and white folks of goodwill, and we’re all beneficiaries of it,” Kelley said. “We’re going to have to activate the churches if we even expect to win.”

He also mentioned the flipping of a Huntsville-area House seat by Rep. Marilyn Lands in a 2024 special election, and the election of U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, in 2024, during the chairman’s report. 

As soon as SDEC members raised their vote cards for Singleton, his voters and other non-voting Democrats in attendance cheered for the lawmaker. 

In Kelley’s chairman’s report he said the party should be united and shift away from toxicity.

“Together, we can make a better future for our children. Together, we can transform Alabama,” Kelley said. 

Singleton said he has a 90-day plan, but did not have time to go over it during his allotted time. He promised to visit Alabama’s 67 counties and bring government as close to the people as possible.

“We’re going to unite as one party, one future, and we will do it right here together. And in November, we’re going to win,” Singleton said.

Singleton said in an interview after the election that his 90-day plan includes visiting every county before the general election, which is in 87 days, fundraising events and supporting county chairs and candidates. 

“It’s robust, and there’s only 87 days until the election, and I’m talking about 90 days, but it goes beyond that,” Singleton said. “I’m really talking about the core of this party and how we’re gonna have to rebuild the core of this party, being able to be attentive and allow people to have a voice.”

He also plans to release a 90-Day Progress Report that includes three stages: listen, build and mobilize. He does not plan to step down as Minority Leader.

Singleton was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002 and the Alabama Senate in 2005. He has led the Alabama Senate’s eight-member Democratic caucus since 2018.

Singleton nominated Caroline Self, an elected member of SDEC in House District 2, who won by 139 votes (66.5%) over Tori Bailey, an elected member of the SDEC from House District 3.

“I want to work to win. We have opportunities this year that we have not seen since I was a child. I get out every day and I work countless hours because we can win in November,” Self said.

Doug Jones and Rep. Philip Ensler of Montgomery, the party’s nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, lingered at the meeting but did not speak.

The meeting had a slow start, with approval of November’s meeting minutes taking over an hour. Stan Glasscox, an elected SDEC member from House District 63, left the meeting briefly and returned with two bottles of beer for himself and Amber Buck, an SDEC representative from Tuscaloosa.

He was asked to leave the voting area of the meeting. He handed off one beverage to a guest, stood on the side of the guest area to finish his beverage and returned to vote. 

“Whether you’re black, white, straight, or gay, whatever your pronoun may be, whether you’re young or old, I want this party to be one Democrat,” Singleton said in an interview. “That’s all we want to do, is focus on being a Democrat so we can win in November.”

Although Democrats have the largest slate of candidates since 2018and had increased primary turnout, they remain underdogs statewide. There are a few competitive legislative seats the party hopes to flip in November. 

Alabama Reflector is a nonprofit newsroom covering the statehouse in Montgomery.