Earlier this year, prospective gubernatorial candidate State Auditor Jim Zeigler declared the more, the merrier in the governor’s race.

At the time, he argued a crowded field lent itself for him to have a pathway to a victory in the Republican primary, given the scenario raised the likelihood Gov. Kay Ivey would not achieve the 50%-plus-one required to avoid a primary runoff.

“This fits right into the Jim Zeigler strategy to be elected governor of Alabama and to defeat incumbent Kay Ivey,” he said. “I told you almost six months ago that my strategy involved the more, the merrier. The first thing that has to be done in the May 24 Republican primary is to hold Governor Ivey below 50%, and therefore create a runoff.”

“According to the Cygnal poll, we’ve done that already,” Zeigler continued. “It happened much faster than I thought. I thought maybe by March or April, she would drop below 50%. According to the Cygnal poll, she’s at 41%. Now, she was at 56%. So, I believe the people of Alabama are gradually becoming educated about how Governor Ivey rammed the gas tax through, how she tried to ram a toll bridge through on I-10, how she tried to take over the state board of election and eliminate the right to vote and her pick them all. I think they’re being educated.”

“And so, the more candidates there are, who are out there making speeches and spending money, the more people will understand the many, many problems of Ivey and the insiders,” he added.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.