Yellowhammer Multimedia is publishing its list of Alabama’s most powerful and influential political leaders.
Taking into account conversations with political insiders, as well as the most recent developments in politics and public policy, the list is meant to recognize the top individuals in government and politics who leverage their power and influence on behalf of those they represent and the Yellowhammer State.
The ranked list has been released in five segments. Numbers 41-50 came out on Monday, 31-40 came out on Tuesday, 21-30 came out on Wednesday, and 11-20 came out on Thursday. Today’s peek behind the curtain includes the top 10.
Robbie McGhee, Poarch Band of Creek Indians
What we said in 2021: Whether people want to admit it or not, gambling legislation in Alabama goes through the Poarch Band of Creek Indians – including the 2021 version so heavily debated. And the person at the center of all that wrangling is Robbie McGhee.
That’s the upshot of it all.
Robbie McGhee has positioned his tribe as the arbiter of gaming issues in Alabama state government. A remarkable feat on behalf of McGhee when one considers the number of stakeholders involved in gaming during the last 25 years.
It has required a special kind of strength and focus from McGhee to bring his constituency, collectively, to this point.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians has established itself as a leading job creator and investor in Alabama communities. Its business portfolio would make a lot of venture capital firms envious. That’s a big deal to policymakers who want to sustain that positive economic impact on the state.
Make no mistake, though, its gaming operations are the top priority.
McGhee has developed a resume with vast experience on the federal and state level, and he has leveraged every bit of it to become one of the most powerful political players in Alabama.
Bob Geddie, Fine Geddie & Associates
What we said in 2021: Geddie has exhibited every element of a successful lobbying practice for decades. His tactical lobbying skills are born out of a precise knowledge of the process and the players.
Contrary to the belief of many across the Alabama media landscape, lobbying is not a smoke-filled, backroom endeavor.
The reality is that the elements of successful lobbying include high-level effort, smarts, experience, interpersonal skills and trustworthiness. The absence of even one of those traits means a lobbyist will quickly hit a ceiling.
Bob Geddie has every one of those traits and to a maximum degree.
Geddie has reached an altitude of success which has earned him the right to throttle back on any part of his lobbying practice. But he still hustles around the statehouse and the capital city with an intensity fit for a rookie.
His firm’s client list is both a who’s who of Alabama businesses and a page out of the Wall Street Journal. Geddie’s record of success is why these large employers entrust him with their participation in state elections.
Geddie continues to build on an exceptional career of power and influence.
Clay Ryan, University of Alabama
What we said in 2021: Ryan is the gatekeeper for one of the state’s largest employers when it comes to all things related to politics and economic development. Also charged with oversight of the System’s public relations effort, there are times when carefully crafted messages come directly from him.
Clay Ryan embodies the Laws of Power.
The senior vice chancellor for external affairs at the University of Alabama brings a palpable sense of influence when he walks into any room.
However, if there is one law of power which has enabled Ryan to ascend to these mighty heights, it is a keen recognition of the importance of Law 23. He understands that “power itself always exists in concentrated form.” As stated more simply, “intensity defeats extensity.”
No one in the political realm has been able to harness the unlimited horsepower of The Capstone quite like Ryan.
A zealous advocate for his institution, he has also been able to capture its energy to power his influence. His relationships with elite power players have transformed him into an elite player.
Don’t wait for Ryan to descend this list because it will prove to be an unprofitable exercise.
Nathaniel Ledbetter, Majority Leader, Alabama House of Representatives
What we said in 2021: In the interim, he has bolstered the role of the majority leader within the House of Representatives. In recent years it had evolved into a largely ceremonial position. That is not the case under Ledbetter’s leadership.
This assessment of Ledbetter has certainly held true over the past year.
Under Ledbetter’s leadership, the House GOP Caucus successfully addressed every item in the majority party’s legislative agenda during the 2022 regular session. Ledbetter’s ability to move priority bills through the legislative process speaks to the respect he has earned among committee leadership and rank-and-file lawmakers.
While his legislative skills are evident, Ledbetter’s political prowess has also been on full display of late. In addition to addressing issues of importance to the caucus, the majority leader is responsible for ensuring the electoral return of its incumbents, something at which he was highly successful in 2018.
Ledbetter not only directs resources to members’ districts, but actively campaigns around the state on behalf of his Republican colleagues, proving his commitment to the caucus’ success. He is also a close confidant of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), which is sure to be of great benefit to the state once he assumes the role of Alabama’s senior senator.
Legislatively and politically, Ledbetter possesses the skills of a master operator. His humble attitude and commitment to the lower chamber GOP’s success is sure to pay dividends as he seeks the position of House speaker in 2023.
Quentin Riggins, Alabama Power
What we said in 2021: One of the truest ways to gauge power and influence is to look at how many “so goes this, so goes the state” entities and issues with which someone is involved. Riggins has many. The reason is that when leaders want to add heft to their effort and ensure its success, they tap Riggins.
Quentin Riggins has been successful at anything he has ever set out to do.
For just about everyone else, being named an SEC Football Legend – which Riggins was in 2009 – would be the unquestioned height of their career accomplishments.
Not Riggins.
The former Auburn letterman, and current member of the university’s board of trustees, has earned his status as one of the Alabama business communities most influential members. He is the senior vice president of Governmental and Corporate Affairs at Alabama Power and is nowhere near his ceiling.
Riggins has a magnetic personality to go with his more than two and a half decades of governmental affairs experience. This amounts to being someone whom others willingly follow and trust to devise a strategy on any issue confronting his company and the Yellowhammer State.
His home state of Alabama has brought out the best in him. More importantly, however, Riggins brings out the best in Alabama.
Will Ainsworth, Lieutenant Governor
What we said in 2021: We said it when he took Montgomery by storm after his election in 2018, and we’ll say it again: Will Ainsworth has completely transformed what a lieutenant governor can be — and accomplish — in a role that has largely been scoffed at by insiders over the past two decades.
Decades have passed since anyone has exercised the power and influence as Lieutenant Governor that Will Ainsworth has.
Through sheer determination, Ainsworth has become a force to be reckoned with on any and every policy initiative that matters in Alabama. After the initial COVID shutdowns, it was Ainsworth who devised the plan to reopen and restore basic freedoms for the state’s residents. He has been a key proponent of a critical Alabama industry as the Aerospace States Association chairman. He has been a leader on tax reform and social conservative causes.
Since being elected, nothing has been beyond Ainsworth’s reach.
And that has not gone unnoticed by a bevy of power players. They recognize his readiness to jump in on a moment’s notice to take the lead on the things that matter to Alabamians.
Ainsworth has assumed a bit of a Ron DeSantis role in the Yellowhammer State. He is ready to speak to what people are feeling and ready for a fight. This has resulted in soaring popularity and power and influence to match.
It’s a winning tactic. So much so that Ainsworth, a former youth minister, could easily adopt as his slogan, “Be Ready.”
Mac McCutcheon, Speaker, Alabama House of Representatives
What we said in 2021: He also listens to his members, though. As speaker of the House, he has been responsive to the needs of his members – a crucial aspect of holding down one of the single most powerful positions in Alabama.
McCutcheon is set to hand over the reins of the legislature’s lower chamber as he rides off into retirement after an illustrious career. The Huntsville area lawmaker ascended to House speaker, one of the single most powerful positions in state government, by earning trust and building rapport among his colleagues.
The “vote your district” House speaker has made it clear that each member’s work should solely represent the needs of their constituents – a highly admirable principle articulated from a man who wields such power.
Soft spoken, McCutcheon’s demeanor is that of a true gentleman. Each of his colleagues, regardless of party affiliation, is treated with the utmost respect from the 66th speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives.
McCutcheon truly exhibits power in service. A retired law enforcement officer, he has illustrated his commitment to public service throughout the decades.
With his legacy cemented, McCutcheon has more than achieved statesman status.
Greg Reed, President Pro Tempore, Alabama State Senate
What we said in 2021: Reed understands the political process in a way that few others do. Furthermore, he is highly attuned to the public policy challenges which Alabama currently faces and has a knack for carefully weighing solutions to any problem.
Not only does Reed understand the political process, as president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate, Reed appears to have mastered it as well as anyone that’s occupied the position.
Anyone who has observed the operations of the Senate in person has played witness to Reed’s skills as an artful communicator. In the midst of procedural maneuvers and legislative debate, Reed can be seen making his rounds working to ensure a particular bill will meet its desired outcome.
What isn’t seen, however, is Reed’s ability to develop strategy and resolve issues behind closed doors.
Hailing from the private sector, Reed brings a business-type mentality to the governing process.
Reed’s command of the legislative body and solution-oriented governing style has proven him to be a brilliant tactician and skilled leader for the upper chamber.
His measured and collected leadership approach has directly contributed to the Senate passing critical pieces of legislation vital to economic growth.
Continue to keep watch on the Alabama Legislature’s most powerful member.
Zeke Smith, Alabama Power
What we said in 2021: The Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inductee has assembled a team of unrivaled talent and installed an aggressive but well-planned process befitting his background. Smith has an innate ability to see over the horizon and understand the conditions which will impact his company’s mission to grow Alabama’s economy, create jobs and broaden its customer base.
Zeke Smith’s service as executive vice president of External Affairs carries with it the weight of the state.
Alabama Power is at the pinnacle of its success as a corporate citizen and active participant in the state’s political arena. Smith has thrived under the pressure which attends such a position, and he has – at the same time – been a key driver of that success.
Initiatives to grow the state’s economic freedom and prosperity originate out of Smith’s office. When urgent action is needed on workforce development and innovation, policymakers seek Smith out to champion the effort.
A member of the board of trustees at Auburn University and Samford University, Smith is universally recognized as a skillful leader.
We have pointed out in the past that a well-tested maxim of power is that much is to be gained from the dependence of others on one’s power and influence. This is where the empirical evidence of Smith’s position comes to light.
Attendees of the 2021 Yellowhammer Power of Service reception could have easily observed that Smith had the longest line of people waiting to speak with him.
One political insider asked us if we were going to create a separate power and influence list, this year, just for Zeke Smith.
Is it possible to be the second most powerful and influential person in the state of Alabama and be ranked too low? Maybe.
Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama
What we said in 2021: It has been nearly four decades since Alabama has seen a brand as strong as Kay Ivey’s in state politics. After 20 consecutive years holding statewide elected office, Ivey remains wildly popular and seemingly unsusceptible to attacks aimed at diminishing her standing.
We have a special affinity for any elected official who has an awareness of their brand – and leans whole heartedly into it. Know who you are and embrace it. Then use it to your distinct advantage.
What too few understand is that it can be a rewarding exercise, particularly so when that person is the governor of Alabama.
Kay Ivey’s entire political career has been one based on relatability and cutting through the political spin. When she communicates to the people of Alabama it is straight talk and done in a way that voices her understanding of the things they care about.
It is highly effective because of that appreciation for people’s concerns, as well as its sincerity.
When communicated on the scale available to a juggernaut governor like Ivey, it translates into limitless power and influence.
That would explain why she is barreling toward reelection to a second, full term.
Every governor has at their disposal an enormous web of agencies and dollars to exert their influence. Ivey has an additional layer of charisma which cannot be overstated in how it affects the feelings voters have toward her.
Students of Alabama political history will be studying the administration of this year’s most powerful and influential person for many years.
Yellowhammer will host a reception to honor the Power & Influence 50 on May 12th at 6pm in Montgomery. Email [email protected] for details.
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