Some of the recent municipal elections will be one for the historic books in Alabama.
In our state, presidential elections draw the most voters to the polls, far above other races, including those for governor or other statewide races. So when record amounts of folks showed up at the ballot box for run-off elections for those candidates seeking seats for local mayoral and city council races, people have paid attention. And not only was it about the increase in voters, but conservative voters showed up and swept their folks into office. There is a lot of supposition on what was the mechanism that turned out the votes, but there is no question that across the across the state Republican voters came out for these elections.
So now that these city races are behind us, the next round of elections are next year for statewide officials. We will see if Alabama voters show up as enthusiastically as well for the state party primaries in May of 2026. While it may not be a presidential year, there will be lot of candidates on the ballot next Spring.
All the statewide constitutional officers will be up for grabs. Governor Kay Ivey, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth and Attorney General Steve Marshal are all term limited from running again, meaning those offices are open. Secretary of State Wes Allen and State Auditor Andrew Sorrell are voluntarily leaving to run for higher office, meaning more vacancies at the state’s top offices. The entire Alabama Legislature also have completed their four-year terms, meaning state representatives and senators who want their seats back have to hit the campaign trail. Finally, there will be a lot of county commissioners, district attorneys, judges and other local officials whose names will also be on the ballot.
Candidates are already gearing up as party qualifying is just a little over three months away. So, stay tuned for more politicking, as one set of yard signs are replaced with others.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.Â
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...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY...
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
as low as zero to 5 above. For the Wind Advisory, northwest winds
15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Perry,
Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and
Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, until noon CST Sunday. For
the Wind Advisory, until 9 PM CST this evening.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Trees
could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Frostbite
and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these
temperatures. An extended period of subfreezing temperatures could
cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Secure outdoor objects.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
&&
...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY...
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
as low as zero to 5 above. For the Wind Advisory, northwest winds
15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Perry,
Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and
Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, until noon CST Sunday. For
the Wind Advisory, until 9 PM CST this evening.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Trees
could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Frostbite
and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these
temperatures. An extended period of subfreezing temperatures could
cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Secure outdoor objects.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
&&
Currently in Selma
30°
30° / 26°
2 PM
30°
3 PM
31°
4 PM
30°
5 PM
29°
6 PM
27°
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.