Another contest on the 2026 Alabama Republican Party primary ballot got competitive last week with the announcement of former congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson jumping into the Secretary of State’s race against Andrew Sorrell, who had yet to have a contender.
Sorrell, currently serving in statewide office as State Auditor, reported $313,869.57 cash on hand as of July 1.
In June, his campaign raised $64,475.02, bringing his total since the fundraising window opened in mid-May to $114,502.02 — nearly doubling the pace set by past successful Secretary of State campaigns, he notes.
“I was very pleased to raise $64,475.02 this month for my campaign,” Sorrell told Yellowhammer News. “I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have received since entering this race. In just 43 days since the fundraising window opened we have brought in $114,502.02, which is unprecedented for a Secretary of State campaign.”
“I have done campaign events in 55 counties already and will soon complete a stop in all 67. My strong record on election integrity speaks for itself, and my donor base is highly motivated. There is no natural donor base for this office as there is for other offices such as Treasurer, Legislature, and Governor, making these fundraising numbers even more significant,” Sorrell said.
RELATED: Caroleene Dobson launches campaign for Secretary of State
Since entering the race on June 26, Caroleene Dobson has already infused her campaign with a $500,000 personal loan and reported exactly $500,000 cash on hand as of July 1.
Dobson, now a familiar name in Alabama politics, is a a fifth-generation cattle farmer born in Beatrice in Monroe County.
She earned her degree from Harvard University and her law degree from Baylor Law School. After practicing natural-resources and real-estate finance law in San Antonio, she returned to Montgomery in 2019 and became a shareholder at Maynard Nexsen. She serves on the Alabama Forestry Commission and the Southeastern Livestock Exposition board, and is a wife and mother of two.
RELATED: Daughter of Alabama, Caroleene Dobson’s journey from farmland to the fight for U.S. Congress
“I felt led to take this job, not only because of my passion about election integrity, but also my professional background,” Dobson said on “The Jeff Poor Show” in a Wednesday interview.
Recalling her 2024 congressional race, Dobson noted that “43 absentee ballots were discounted [in Mobile County] because either they were fraudulent or not properly completed,” and warned that, “saying there’s no election fraud is like saying there are no shoplifters.”
She proposed modeling an election-crime division after Florida’s office and partnering with prosecutors and law enforcement to “apprehend cheaters, investigate the claims and then prosecute these folks.”
Dobson also stressed the secretary of state’s business role. “I will reduce fees on Alabama businesses, streamline same-day services for small and rural enterprises, and make Alabama the number one choice for incorporation.”
“With municipal contests on the horizon, no election is too small to protect,” Dobson said. “Every single ballot matters.”
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
