The Alabama Forestry Association announced their picks in a slate of appellate court races that will be on the ballot for the May 19, 2026 Alabama Republican Party primary election.
AFA represents Alabama’s forestry industry to the tune of a $36 billion total economic output to the state’s economy.
“One of AFA’s founding principles is supporting and upholding the Rule of Law,” Chris Isaacson, AFA President and CEO, said.
“And each one of these judges has an excellent track record of supporting a fair and balanced legal system. We are pleased to have judges in our State that understand the direct impact they have on Alabama’s businesses and are familiar with forestry and its role in fostering Alabama’s rural economy.”
AFA endorsed the following candidates:
Alabama Supreme Court
- Brad Mendheim
- Greg Shaw
Court of Civil Appeals
- Matt Fridy
- Ben Bowden
Court of Criminal Appeals
- Marry Windom
- Beth Kellum
Justice Brad Mendheim has served on the high court since 2018, first by appointment in January 2018 and then by a December 2018 appointment to a different seat following Tom Parker’s ascension to Chief Justice.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Mendheim served as a Houston County district judge and later as a circuit judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.
Justice Greg Shaw was first elected to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in 2000 and to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2008. He is a Cumberland School of Law graduate.
Fridy was election to the Court of Civil Appeals in 2020. He previously served a term in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2014-2020 and holds a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law.
Bowden was appointed to the Court of Civil Appeals in May to replace Judge Bill Lewis, who days earlier was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court after Justice Jay Mitchell resigned to run for Alabama Attorney General.
After being nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Middle District of Alabama, Lewis awaits a confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate.
If confirmed, Governor Kay Ivey would appoint his replacement.
Mary Windom, Presiding Judge of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals was first elected in 2008 and chosen by her colleagues as presiding judge in 2012.
Windom previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Alabama and as an Alabama Deputy Attorney General. She earned her law degree from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University.
Judge Elizabeth “Beth” Kellum was elected in 2008 to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and re-elected in 2014 and 2020.
Kellum previously worked as a staff attorney at both the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court and as an assistant attorney general. She earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from The University of Alabama.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
