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Farm-PAC (the PAC for the Alabama Farmers Federation, also known not quite correctly as ALFA) released its endorsements today for the June primaries.
They endorsed:
- U.S. Senator: Richard Shelby
- U.S. Representative, District 1: Jo Bonner
- U.S. Representative, District 2: Bobby Bright
- U.S. Representative, District 3: Mike Rogers
- U.S. Representative, District 4: Robert Aderholt
- U.S. Representative, District 6: Spencer Bachus
- U.S. Representative, District 7: Earl Hilliard Jr.
- Attorney General: Troy King
- State Treasurer: George Wallace Jr.
- Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries: Dorman Grace
- Supreme Court Justice, Place 1: Kelli Wise
- Supreme Court Justice, Place 2: Mike Bolin
- Supreme Court Justice, Place 3: Tom Parker
- Court of Civil Appeals Judge: Tommy Bryan
Bobby Bright and Troy King are the ones I note first with Earl Hilliard, Dorman Grace, and perhaps Tom Parker next. Notable in their omission are endorsements for Governor and the 5th Congressional District.
At least someone is smart enough to see you don’t put recourses towards defeating someone that votes how the majority of the constitutes want. The GOP could learn a lot from ALFA about AL02.
No legislative endorsements? Does Alfa usually endorse legislative candidates in the primary? What about 2006?
Early endorsements to scare off possible opponents
That AG endorsement smells. McMillan did ALFA many, many, many favors through the years. Bad move, ALFA.
Parker Griffith got the Alfa endorsement in 2008 over Republican Wayne Parker. He had a lot of Alfa supporters in the 5th District. But now that he switched parties he couldn’t secure it? Interesting. Wonder if they plan to make any endorsement at a future date.
You really have to wonder about these. It appears that they were attempting to approve an equal number of Republicans & Democrats, regardless of the voting record of either.
ALFA sees the writing on the wall for Parker Griffith. The rest of North Alabama does too. When will D.C. wake up and leave this flip-flopper floating in the breeze?
The whole ALFA slate is strangely incongruous. Looks like a lot of back-room, inside ALFA dealing.
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I have news for ALFA, Bobby Bright is in trouble as well. It doesn’t really matter what the “label” is on a candidate, its what they stand for, who they owe and if they understand the consequences of not doing the people’s will. Bright has voted with his Democratic constituents 70.8% of all votes he has cast. And, he has missed 27 votes; those aren’t counted in that percentage.
Clean Sweep 2010. My grandmother used to say, “A new broom sweeps clean.” Well, we have a new broom and we’re going to do some sweeping.
Where is the Jim Folsom? As an ALFA member I would have liked to have seen him on the list.
To JJ-
These are only primary endorsements, except in races like the Judges. There is no primary for Folsom, so ALFA didn’t even interview the LTG candidates.
Anon: Most of the people on the list don’t have a primary opp. Wallace has no primary opp.; they all dropped out, not does Aderholt or Mike Rogers.
amend 1- Dorman Grace is a life long Alfa member. Has served on their local board for years. He has traveled the state getting local endorsement. If JM had worked in his senate bid a few years ago he may of had a shot at their endorsement. Dorman Grace is the only candidate who draws his entire income from the farm. These others say they grew up on a farm and still have ties to the farm dont get it. Farming has changed and Dorman Grace is the only candidate who knows what todays farmers really need and want from the department. He will be a great commissioner and will serve the farmers in this state well. Plus he is in his 50′s and JM is in his 70′s, how much can we really depend on him and why would Alfa want to invest $ in his campaign.
Hearing rumblings that alfa is not done endorsing. So round 1 here, round 2 coming soon.
Icon – you SURE Grace gets “all his income from farming?” I would not bet on that. Grace has lots of other sources of income and some of them are going to be problems in this race. And McMillan is in his 60s not 70s. Nice slurring of facts.
You can write this one down Grace won’t ever be Ag Commissioner. If he survives the primary, Zorn will have Joe Perkins and Perkins knows about Grace’s closet full of skeletons. He’ll never make it.
I needed a good laugh. I am reading some funny comments on here. “Some” of the posted comments are quick to underestimated ALFA endorsements (or any other big special interests player). Interest groups always kiss and make-up or “at least offer” to the winner should they support the losing candidate. This is done by paying off the campaign debts and/or promise future support, etc. through their front people. It is not uncommon nor should it be that interest groups spread the joy to both parties to be on the winning side.
I needed a good laugh. I am reading some funny comments on here. “Some” of the posted comments are quick to underestimated ALFA endorsements (or any other big special interests player). Interest groups always kiss and make-up or “at least offer” to the winner should they support the losing candidate. This is done by paying off the campaign debts and/or promise future support, etc. through their front people. It is not uncommon nor should it be that interest groups spread the joy to both parties to be on the winning side.
these are endorsements for the PRIMARY. Bright does not have primary opppsition. They have not endorsed Bright for the general election. We will see what happens.
wakeup!-
I think it looks pretty good for Bright considering they did not even mention the GOP primary.
[...] ALFA, the Alabama Farmers Federation, came out with its primary endorsements today, but declined to endorse in either gubernatorial primary or the 5th congressional district race. [...]
Amend 1. Check your facts. Let’s see them. JM quit in his senate race? True. Got dusted in a so called repub district. Dorman Grace gets all His income off of His farm(not his brothers or his daddy’s or his sister’s or his in-laws). Skeleton’s I like how you switchhed from being a JM man to a Zorn man in your comments. I don’t think Zorn wants to go after skeletons. What do you think? I’ll bet you a bottle? JM wanted to run for CofAg 8yrs ago but it didn’t pay enough. What does that say about him? Let’s hear your facts!
Remember that the Department of Agriculture and INDUSTRIES is about more than farming. The Dept oversees food safety, petroleum commodities, and weights and measures, as well as promoting exports.
I support John McMillan, who has experience with State regulatory issues.
Icon I think you probably have an idea what some of those facts are. I think we’ll be hearing them from media soon.
Hey “Icon” according to your “facts” SD22 is a “Repub district?” I find that awfully strange, as SD22 has NEVER elected a GOP senator and Demo newcomer Keahey just won a landslide there.
I think we all ought to take eveything “Icon” says with a large grain of salt, such as the assertions (made as “fact”) that the 60ish John McMillan is “in his 70s.” That wasn’t true (obviously) either.
my bad he is 68. turns 69 in june
How about SD22 being a “Republican district” Icon? You were way off base with your “facts’ on that one too.
I have been at a couple of meetings recently and have heard a guy running in this race. We really like what he has to say. Seems to be on the right track with today’s economic environment. Dale Peterson is The People’s Candidate. He is someone the “politicians” should be prepared for.
ALFA doesn’t endorse in AL05! My guess is that they are waiting until some polling starts to come in. Though, I disagree with the majority on the value of these endorsments, Joe Q Voter doesn’t care at all, and in this political climate – that is who is important…FINALLY!
FYI, these are not just primary endorsements. If these candidates win their primaries, they will retain the endorsement for November. That’s why they didn’t endorse in both primaries. Only one person per each place/seat. It’s just wishful thinking on those who didn’t make the cut that these are primary only. That’s just not the case.
ETHICS COMPLAINTS DORMAN GRACE
As was reported previously, Dorman Grace, GOP candidate for the office of Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, has had at least two ethics complaints filed against him. Reliable sources say that both accuse Grace of accepting illegal campaign contributions. He is one of three candidates for the Republican nomination for agriculture commissioner in the June 1 primary.
Both complaints charge Grace with violating Section 36-25-12 of the Code of Alabama which states, “the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Industries and any candidate for the office of commissioner may not accept a campaign contribution from a person associated with a business regulated by the department.” Both complaints list a number of contributions on Grace’s most recent Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) financial disclosure report which they claim come from people associated with businesses regulated by the department.
The first complaint against Grace was filed by an individual whose name, to date, is not known to the public. The second complaint was filed by Mobile attorney and longtime political activist Jim Zeigler. The attorney for the Ethics Commission would neither confirm nor deny these complaints stating that divulging this information would be a violation of the law. However, we were told it was a “grand jury” matter by others within that office.
The provision of the law prohibiting agriculture commissioner candidates from accepting contributions from regulated businesses is relatively new and the commission has never investigated a case involving its provisions. Without
confirming the complaint against Grace, officials said any complaint against a candidate in the June primaries would be expedited and hopefully resolved before voters go to the polls June 1.
Zeigler’s complaint cites eight specific contributions to the Grace campaign, totaling $64,300 from businesses and individuals involved in the deer breeding industry, which is regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Industries. The contributions listed on Grace’s January 28, 2010 FCPA filing and cited by Zeigler include: Ricky Cleveland, $6,950; Long Antler Ranch, $4,000; Triple R Whitetail Farms LLC, $100; Hytop Whitetails Inc., $100; S&L Leasing, $11,150; Dream Ranch LLC, $11,000; Lookout Valley Whitetails LLC, $1,000; and Double J Whitetails LLC, $30,000.
Zeigler said he had no direct interest or involvement in the agriculture commissioner race.
“Alabama’s ethics laws and campaign disclosure laws are so very weak to start with that we don’t need to allow clear violations to go unreported. $64,300 in illegal campaign donations in a small campaign like commissioner of agriculture is a big deal,” Zeigler said.
Grace reported receiving $153,380 in itemized cash contributions on his FCPA annual report. Zeigler claims 42 percent of Grace’s contributions, $64,300, are illegal and Zeigler calls that a major factor in a down ballot race like agriculture commissioner. Zeigler’s complaint asks that the case be referred to the attorney general’s office for
prosecution.
The second, anonymous complaint against Grace, also cities the same eight contributions from deer breeders itemized in Zeigler’s complaint and lists another nine entities which contributed tens of thousands more dollars to the Grace campaign. Some of them include Montgomery and Birmingham political action committees. When contacted, Grace did not deny having received the contributions in question, but said he had just received the letter on Friday from the Ethics Commission informing him of the allegations against him. “We received the letter late Friday,” Grace said. “We’re going through it looking at the situation. I’ve never been in politics before, so we need to go through this. We
will be transparent,” Grace said. When asked if he would return the contributions if they are found to be illegal,
Grace said: “That’s possible. They (the commission) haven’t told us what to do. “Right now, it’s just an allegation. At this point I don’t have enough information. We have a week to respond, which we will do. “We’ve raised money all over the state. We’ll go back now and look at everybody,” Grace said. He added that he is talking with legal counsel and that he has talked with ethics investigators but no date for a meeting has been set.
From Montgomery Independent, April 8, 2010.
I just got a text on my cell promoting Dorman Grace and George Wallace Jr. I think this is HIGHLY inappropriate. I do not know how you got my cell number, but I will forward to many others to not vote for these because of this. YOU CROSSED THE LINE!!!!
my personal cell phone is no place to advertise… oh, and a bogus reply email account??, very nice. Now I know why I can’t stand politicians. STAY OFF MY PHONE!