Beth Chapman: Election night recap

Well, the primary election is over, and Alabamians made some good decisions as they usually do — all on their own. Voters decided that Gov. Kay Ivey is not a part of communist China and has not done any of the other things she was so ridiculously accused of doing – some downright laughable. She indeed proved that “no step is too high for a high stepper,” as they/we voted astoundingly to keep her in office for another four years.

It’s quite a statistical feat to outright win an election with nine candidates, but for a woman in Alabama to do it means even more. Gov. Ivey not only did it, but she did it with class and dignity, and she never went negative on her opponents when Lord knows she had every right to do so. She took the high road, and it paid off for her in a big way. Gov. Ivey is worthy of another four years, and she deserves to go down in the history books as a great governor and an extraordinary leader.

Then there’s Alabama’s U.S. Senate race. Not a clean sweep, but it will make for an interesting runoff. Sadly, few voters show up at the polls in a runoff. Tons of money will be spent per voter to ensure we do in a race that has already been the most expensive Senate race in Alabama’s history.

It’s also the second-most expensive Senate race in the country this year. Expect to see the race’s front runner Katie Britt reign victorious. She is smart, charismatic and energetic. She has all the fresh, new leadership skills and abilities Alabamians need in Washington. She is a natural born leader and a true diplomat.

Leading up to the primary, we also learned that Judge Debra Jones is four feet, 11 inches tall, and Greg Cook graduated from a school where some liberals also attended. That didn’t equate to Cook being liberal in the eyes of Alabamians. Obviously, the people of our state believe him to have conservative ideals and elected him to the Alabama Supreme Court. That’s a good thing. He’s a true, solid conservative.

There will be several runoffs as a result of the May 24 primaries, including the Secretary of State’s race. It includes a familiar name because that candidate has been on ballots more times than Carter’s has pills. His name has been on at least 11 ballots. I encourage voters to research the qualifications and look beyond name recognition.

Former Probate Judge Wes Allen is vying for the position of the state’s chief elections official as well and is the only candidate in the race who has ever overseen an election. He’s supervised more than 12 elections without a flaw, and he’ll work hard to overcome his opponent’s name I.D. He is an elections expert and one who will make a great Secretary of State.

The list of candidates goes on, and we’ll cover more of those as we approach the runoff.
For now, rest well knowing our state is safe with Gov. Ivey at the helm for another four years. Study up and prepare to go back to the polls on Tuesday, June 21.

Beth Chapman is Alabama’s former State Auditor and 51st Secretary of State. She now owns and operates Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC. This is her weekly column, “Around the Capitol” published in newspapers and blogs across the state. She can be reached at [email protected].