Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead is confident that more Republicans than ever will be elected to the Alabama Legislature this coming Tuesday. However, the question is, will they be genuine conservatives, or will the state’s most powerful liberal special interest group be successful in getting their “plants” elected to office?
That group, of course, is the Alabama Education Association. Chairman Armistead told Yellowhammer today that Republicans cannot rest on their recent successes, but should be as motivated as ever to get out to the polls and elect conservatives.
“One of the things that concerns me most is complacency,” said Armistead. “Getting out to vote is going to be very important. Republicans have to get out Tuesday and make their vote count, because it really does this year.”
Armistead noted that because Democrats have such a hard time getting elected in Alabama now, liberal groups have resorted to funneling money into Republican primaries and hoping that voters won’t realize they’re being manipulated.
In March, the ALGOP chairman hammered the Alabama Foundation for Limited Government — which many political insiders believe is little more than a front group for the AEA — for potentially violating Alabama’s campaign finance laws.
Armistead said the Foundation has not registered as a political action committee or disclosed its contributors, but is running negative political ads on television, through direct mail, and has conducted at least one robocall, all containing names or images of candidates for public office. Such political advertising is strictly regulated within 120 days of an election.
“Voters need to research who they are and where getting resources from,” Armistead said emphatically. “There are people running who have a history of taking positions on issues that are not conservative positions. There are some groups that would like to hijack the primary for their own selfish purposes.
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“Historically the AEA has been a Democrat organization,” Armistead continued. “Their previous leader was even the vice chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. They have long supported Democrats, but they realize the political climate in Alabama has voters more inclined to elect Republicans. They have recruited candidates and are funding candidates in Republican primaries who do not share our values or our views.”
This election cycle is not the first time the AEA has tried to swing Republican primaries. In the past they would move money around to different PACs to shield their involvement. However, that practice, known as PAC-to-PAC transfers, was outlawed under new ethics laws passed by Republicans in 2010, forcing the AEA to adjust their tactics.
“It’s just a little different twist on what they’ve done in the past,” Armistead explained. “They don’t have the support in the Legislature they once had now that Republicans are in control. So their best bet is to invade our primary and elect folks who will be faithful to them instead of the Alabama values that are supported by Republicans.
“The bottom line is that my concern really is the turnout,” Armistead said in conclusion. “We’ve got to get our folks out to the polls.”
Alabama’s primary elections are set to take place Tuesday, June 3rd.
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