The leaders in Alabama’s Democratic Party are continuing to clash this week as they get closer to the Aug. 8 reorganization meeting.
Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chair Tabitha Isner has taken to social media several times in recent weeks criticizing the current leadership, which she believes is corrupt and needs to be changed.
Last week, Isner accused Alabama Democratic Conference Chairman Joe Reed of illegal “electioneering,” and earlier this month she posted a photo of a 2018 campaign check she says is proof of an old shakedown attempt by Reed.
Now Isner is directing her ire against Party Chairman Randy Kelley.
“Chairman Kelley (head of the Alabama Democratic Party) made it clear to me very early in our 4-year term that he didn’t want me to do anything at all. I asked repeatedly for approved ways to be helpful, but I was firmly rejected,” Isner said on X. “He said my only job as Vice Chair was to call a meeting to elect his replacement if he died. It didn’t take me long to discover, however, that although I had no assignments, there was still lots of work to be done, and I didn’t need party resources to do it.”
Chairman Kelley (head of the Alabama Democratic Party) made it clear to me very early in our 4-year term that he didn't want me to do anything at all. I asked repeatedly for approved ways to be helpful, but I was firmly rejected.
— Tabitha Isner (@TabithaK) July 28, 2026
Kelley is facing tough competition this year in his effort to remain the leader of the party. State Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) is running for the position at the party’s reorganization meeting on Aug. 8.
Isner mentioned Singleton in her post on X.
“For example, I regularly joined WVAS (the radio station at ASU) to give updates on Democratic politics,” she said. “In the photo below, I was on with Phyllis Harvey Hall (who ran for Congress in 2022) and Senator Bobby Singleton (Senate minority leader).”
Kelley has faced criticism from other top Democrats in recent years, including from former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones who is the party’s candidate to be Alabama’s next governor.
“That’s all they wanna do – they wanna challenge the DNC, they wanna challenge the bylaws,” Jones said about Kelley and Reed in 2024. “It’s time that they just that they just retire.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
