Jeremy Oden, who is seeking reelection to the Alabama Public Service Commission’s (PSC) Place 1 seat, has landed the endorsement of former Republican primary opponent Johnny Hammock.
Hammock finished third in the May 24 GOP primary election, earning 23.92% of all votes cast. Florence attorney Brent Woodall, Oden’s runoff opponent, received 30.92% of the vote. Oden emerged as the primary election’s top vote-getter with 34.30% support.
In a statement announcing his endorsement of Oden, Hammock took note of the financial support Woodall’s candidacy had received from one of Alabama’s most prominent left-wing environmentalists in Nelson Brooke of the Black Warrior Riverkeepers.
“Jeremy Oden has my full support and endorsement on June 21 to continue serving on the Alabama Public Service Commission,” declared Hammock. “Jeremy is a proven conservative who supports America First energy dominance and fights back against the Left’s radical Green New Deal madness. In stark contrast, Jeremy’s opponent is funded by liberal Democrats – top supporters and donors of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.”
Woodall joined the likes of socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former President Barack Obama in receiving campaign contributions from Brooke.
“There’s a reason the Left is trying to buy this Republican primary: they think Jeremy’s opponent will turn Alabama’s energy policies woke,” asserted Hammock. “All that will do is make hardworking Alabama families broke, and we can’t have that in our state. I will be voting for Jeremy Oden in the runoff, because he’s the only conservative in the race. We can’t allow a liberal plant to steal a Republican primary in ruby red Alabama.”
Hammock’s support of Oden comes on the heels of Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) endorsing the incumbent PSC commissioner’s candidacy.
In endorsing Oden and fellow PSC incumbent Republican Chip Beeker, McCutcheon railed against the “radical left” attempting to “buy” the GOP primary.
Oden expressed his appreciation to Hammock for the endorsement and proclaimed that Alabama had the “most conservative” Public Service Commission in the nation.
“I’m grateful to my friend Johnny Hammock for his strong endorsement, support, and confidence,” stated Oden. “Alabama has the most conservative Public Service Commission in America, and I’ll always fight to keep it that way. Meanwhile, my opponent is backed by liberal donors and activists who want to sell out hardworking Alabamians in favor of the far Left’s America Last agenda.”
He concluded, “As your conservative Public Service Commissioner, I will continue supporting affordable, reliable, and secure energy so that families, small businesses, and farmers in every corner of our state can thrive. On June 21, we will save Alabama’s conservative Public Service Commission and the future of energy in Alabama.”
Oden served as an honorary Alabama co-chair for former President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and was appointed by the Trump administration to serve on the National Coal Council.
The primary runoff election will take place next Tuesday, June 21.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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