State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals), who is seeking the GOP nomination for Alabama’s open State Auditor’s office, on Monday announced that he was directing a significant amount of his campaign’s resources toward an aggressive media purchase.
According to Sorrell, the upcoming filing on his Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) report, which will be made public on February 2, will show nearly $103,000 worth of television and radio buys.
The candidate in a release advised that his ambitious media strategy would continue after his initial round of media purchases. His campaign noted that Sorrell’s media buy represented the largest in state history relating to the State Auditor’s office.
“Our plan is to strategically target media markets across the state with two high-quality television ads and two radio spots in the weeks leading up to the May 24th Primary election,” stated Sorrell. “My consultant and I are in the process of purchasing a quarter million dollars’ worth of ads designed to boost my name ID and get my message out across the state.”
Sorrell added that over the past two decades in State Auditor races, no candidate typically spends more than $125,000. He maintained that the race is historically won by a candidate who spends less than $100,000.
“Our strong fundraising has enabled us to make the largest media purchase ever in the history of the State Auditor’s race,” continued Sorrell. “All told, I believe we will spend upwards of $400,000 throughout the course of this campaign.”
As a freshman lawmaker, Sorrell has sponsored legislation to strengthen the State Auditor’s office. Should his candidacy prove successful, Sorrell indicated that he would continue to advocate such for efforts.
“Voters are surprised to find out that the State Auditor no longer does the financial audits in Alabama,” added Sorrell. “I think that’s a problem and solving it will be my number one priority if I am elected as the next State Auditor this year. Other states, such as Mississippi, have a much stronger State Auditor’s office than we do, and I think the public wants to bring ours more in line with what other states have.”
Sorrell made mention of his campaign’s strategy to present his conservative credentials to the electorate. The Colbert County legislator has received numerous recognitions from conservative organizations due to his voting record on issues relating to taxes, spending and economic growth.
“As a strong fiscal conservative in the State House of Representatives, I think my talents and interests align perfectly with the duties of the State Auditor. Keeping track of $1.7 billion worth of state property spread out over 176 state agencies is an important task,” declared Sorrell. “I want to make sure that every penny of property belonging to the citizens of Alabama is properly accounted for. My political experience in the legislature and my professional background as an entrepreneur have perfectly prepared me to perform the duties of this important position.”
Sorrell in 2020 was elected to serve as chairman of Alabama’s GOP delegation to the Republican National Convention, where he was charged with casting the state’s votes for the reelection candidacy of former President Donald Trump.
He concluded, “Donald Trump was a conservative, pro-growth, and pro-America President, and it was an honor to represent his Alabama supporters at the Convention in Charlotte, NC in 2020. I believe Alabama needs someone with a proven track record of concern for taxpayer money serving in the Auditor’s position. I believe that my conservative political philosophy and attention to detail will help me serve the citizens of Alabama well as their next State Auditor.”
As candidates qualifying for state constitutional offices recently concluded, three candidates’ names will appear on the Alabama Republican Party primary election ballot. This includes Sorrell, former State Sen. Rusty Glover and Jefferson County pastor Stan Cooke.
The primary election is scheduled to take place on May 24.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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