Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who himself rode into office with considerable support from Bernie Sanders’ socialist “Our Revolution” political organization, on Monday unveiled his own political action committee (PAC) – “Next Generation Alabama,” or “NextGen Alabama” for short.
In an editorial published for Alabama Media Group, Woodfin declared, “If you find yourself – like me – representing a blue island in a sea of red, you have an obligation to change the tide for the communities you serve.”
He added, “As mayor of the largest, most progressive city in Alabama, my role encompasses more than just serving as Birmingham’s chief executive. I am also obligated to fight for issues that I don’t control, but directly affect families in my community.”
Woodfin wants to be a major player in liberal political campaigns outside of Jefferson County.
“Effective advocacy demands that I bring a distinct voice and consideration to shaping the future for Democrats in my state,” he explained. “To that end, I am proud to present ‘Next Generation Alabama’ as a tool to cultivate progressive leadership in every corner of the state.”
According to the mayor, NextGen Alabama will be “focused solely on building the Democratic bench in Alabama.”
“We will only invest in nontraditional campaigns that prioritize grassroots organizing and voter contact. And we will only support progressive candidates that are unapologetic about engaging directly with our base and infrequent voters – the kinds of voters who can unlock the chokehold that Republicans have had on Alabama for far too long,” Woodfin outlined.
For Woodfin, this is an intentionally partisan endeavor.
“Think about it,” Woodfin said. “Our values and common decency are currently under assault. Republican leadership in Washington and Montgomery continue to put the profits of millionaires and large corporations before the interests of average families like those I serve in Birmingham.”
Woodfin was sure to clarify that this new PAC, which – as Alabama Today pointed out – shares a name with a federal Super PAC run by billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer, would not act as a competitor to the state Democratic Party, which has been in shambles.
“If anything, the Democratic Party of Alabama will be our partner in progress,” he added.
Woodfin himself has been under fire for his recent declaration in an interview with NPR that becoming a sanctuary city would not be going far enough, instead making Birmingham a “welcoming city.”
In the same interview, he made it clear Birmingham would not cooperate with ICE and welcomed the influx of immigrants – legal or not.
Woodfin has not shied away from his liberal activism, appearing at Netroots Nation in July and saying that he was “Proud to have shared the stage” with and spoken alongside socialist Democrat candidate for Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In his tweet about Ocasio-Cortez, he referenced “#BuildingMovements,” which meshes with his latest move to establish NextGen Alabama.
The new PAC was technically formed on May 22 according to paperwork on file with the Secretary of State’s office but has not reported receiving or spending any money between then and now.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.