A leading South Baldwin County business coalition is lining up behind Katherine Robertson in the final hours before Tuesday’s Republican runoff for attorney general.
The Gulf United Metro Business Organization, GUMBO, announced its endorsement of Robertson on Friday, adding the region’s premier business-advocacy group to a roster of supporters that already spans law enforcement, agriculture and conservative national organizations.
GUMBO bills itself as a coalition of business and community leaders focused on the long-term success of South Baldwin County and Coastal Alabama. As the region’s leading business advocacy organization, it works to support responsible growth, strengthen economic competitiveness and champion policies that preserve the quality of life that makes Alabama’s Gulf Coast unique.
In a statement issued on the group’s behalf, immediate past president Penny Groux tied the endorsement directly to the coast’s booming growth and tourism-driven economy.
“As one of Alabama’s fastest-growing coastal regions and home to one of the state’s most important tourism economies, South Baldwin County understands that strong public safety leadership is essential to preserving both quality of life and economic opportunity,” Groux said. “Protecting safe communities and the character of Coastal Alabama requires leaders who recognize the connection between public safety, business growth, and responsible stewardship.
“Through her service in the Attorney General’s Office, Katherine Robertson has demonstrated a commitment to enforcing the law, supporting law enforcement, and helping ensure Alabama remains a place where businesses, residents, and visitors can thrive. GUMBO is proud to endorse Katherine Robertson for Attorney General.”
Robertson said the endorsement carries real grassroots weight in a region she described as central to Alabama’s economic future.
“Baldwin County is among Alabama’s fastest growing area in terms of population and economic impact, and it faces unique challenges in sustaining that explosive growth,” Robertson said. “As attorney general, I will work within the law to help our Gulf Coast confront those challenges whenever possible and ensure that state government remains a committed partner in its economic development, transportation, and smart growth efforts along the Gulf.”
The GUMBO endorsement follows a previous nod from Coastal 150, another influential political and business organization in the Gulf Coast region.
Robertson has also been endorsed by 11 Republican district attorneys, 29 Republican sheriffs, the conservative Club for Growth, the Alabama Farmers Federation, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, the Republican Attorneys General Association, the Alabama Forestry Association, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama, and numerous other groups and individuals across the state.
Polls open Tuesday, June 16.
