FarmPAC, the political action committee of the Alabama Farmers Federation, earlier this week endorsed candidates for Alabama secretary of state, auditor and public service commission. The Alabama Farmers Federation, an affiliate of the American Farm Bureau Federation, is the state’s largest farm organization with more than 365,000 members.
FarmPAC endorsed John Merrill for secretary of state. Merrill is a freshman state representative from Tuscaloosa who’s making his first run for statewide office.
“This endorsement bears witness to the strength of the grassroots efforts of our campaign throughout all 67 counties in the great state of Alabama,” Merrill told Yellowhammer. “We are not aware of any other entity that has the same level of local membership of individuals who are committed to providing for their families, their communities, and our state at the same level the members of the Federation are. I am humbled by their support and especially their endorsement.”
Adam Thompson, a senior staffer in the Alabama secretary of state’s office, received FarmPAC’s endorsement for state auditor.
“[A]griculture is the backbone of Alabama’s economy and members of the Alabama Farmers Federation are actively involved in their government and understand how it affects their daily lives,” Thompson said in a statement. “They support candidates who know and support Alabama’s farming and agricultural interests and I am proud to be among the ones they have chosen to endorse this election year.”
FarmPAC also made two endorsement for the public service commission. They endorsed Commissioner Jeremy Oden for place 1 — he’s currently running unopposed — and Chip Beeker for Place 2.
“My family has worked the land of Alabama for generations, and I am proud to say that my family still calls rural Alabama home,” said Oden. “My wife Samantha and I plan on raising our daughter Anika ‘in the country’ just as we were raised. We want her to have the same ‘country’ Alabama values that we treasure – and that the Alabama Farmers Federation represents.”
The Beeker endorsement is perhaps most notable because ALFA decided to endorse him over a sitting commissioner, Terry Dunn, in the Republican primary.
“I’m honored to receive the support of our state’s largest industry,” Beeker told Yellowhammer. “As a farmer, I know first hand the impact the agriculture community has on Alabama by providing thousands of jobs. It serves as a cornerstone of our economy and I pledge to do all I can to protect and grow this important industry.”
Alabama Farmers Federal President Jimmy Parnell said he hopes the FarmPAC endorsements will help elect candidates who support agriculture in Alabama, which is the state’s largest industry.
“The Alabama Farmers Federation encourages our members to be politically engaged and support candidates who understand the importance of agriculture to our state,” said Parnell. “We hope our endorsements will help guide our members when they vote in June and November.”
FarmPAC Advisory Trustees, who are farmers representing every county in Alabama, made endorsement recommendations at the group’s Jan. 21 meeting at the Federation home office in Montgomery.
The group previously announced endorsements for other state and congressional races. That list can be found here.
The 2014 primary election is June 3 with primary runoffs July 15. The general election is Nov. 4.
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