Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey meets her ‘mini-me’ ahead of Halloween

Yellowhammer News earlier this week reported on Rainbow City’s Cate McGriff, who decided to dress up as Governor Kay Ivey for Halloween.

The fourth-grader went viral, and on Friday, she also went to the Capitol.

Gina Maiola, Ivey’s spokesperson, on Friday afternoon informed members of the media, “Governor Ivey invited a special guest to meet with her in the office, and let me tell you, the resemblance was uncanny.”

McGriff visited with Ivey in the governor’s office, “and their discussion was certainly wide-ranging and productive,” Maiola added.

“The governor and Cate covered everything from school to their love of dogs. Governor Ivey asked Cate what her favorite subject in school is, and she responded that it was math. Cate also told the governor that she wanted to attend Auburn University just like she did. Governor Ivey asked Cate what she wanted to be when she grows up, after she attends Auburn, and Cate said she wanted to be an engineer, so, the governor quickly advised her to keep working hard on her math,” she continued.

Maiola advised, “One of the highlights of the meeting was when Governor Ivey shared that when she was a young intern for Governor Lurleen Wallace, she had the opportunity to sit behind the governor’s desk. Governor Ivey then asked Cate if she wanted to sit behind the desk, and they recreated the governor’s own photo behind Governor Wallace’s desk.”

McGriff and Ivey posed next to each other, both donning “red power suits” and Auburn University face masks, for pictures on Friday.

McGriff’s aunt has advised that the girl has also spent hours practicing to speak like Ivey.

“Watch out Capitol Press Corps – we have two Kay Iveys in town,” Maiola concluded.

Photo op with Cate McGriff 332

You can view pictures from McGriff’s Goat Hill visit here.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn