Libertarian lt. gov. nominee contributed to, attended Alabama Democratic Conference event

The Libertarian nominee for lieutenant governor made an in-kind contribution to the Alabama Democratic Conference and spoke to members at an Oct. 14 gathering.

Ruth Page-Nelson, a trainer on installing solar devices, said in an interview Monday that she wanted to encourage members of the mostly-Black organization to consider voting for her, in a year when Alabama Democrats have not put a candidate up against Republican Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth.

“The issue was that they understand how to vote,” Page-Nelson said in a phone interview. “I’m interested in getting votes to win the race. The issues I bring forward, that I represent, I create a very good landing space for people on either side of the ballot.”

It is unusual for the nominees of one political party to speak at another party’s event, much less make a contribution to that other organization. Joe Reed, the chairman of the Alabama Democratic Conference, said in a phone interview on Monday that the Oct. 14 event was an “open forum” where anyone could speak.

“We’re Democrats,” he said. “We’re trying to build the Democratic Party. We’re not trying to build other parties.”

Page-Nelson’s campaign finance records show that her campaign made a $1,500 in-kind contribution to the ADC for the Oct. 14 event, and a $100 in-kind contribution described as speakers for the event. Page-Nelson has reported spending $6,269 on her campaign this year.

The ADC, which officially operates independently of the Alabama Democratic Party, has long been influential with Black voters in the state. Reed, who lost a power struggle over the leadership of the Democratic Party in 2019, managed to get his preferred candidate elected chair of the Alabama Democratic Party last August.

A Libertarian getting their support could give them a boost. Page-Nelson is one of three Libertarians running for statewide office; the others are James Blake, running for governor, and John Sophocleus, running for U.S. Senate.

If any one of those three candidates gets 20% of the vote, the Libertarian Party would have statewide ballot access in 2024, according to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, and for any special statewide elections that might take place before then. With no Democrats running for lieutenant governor, Libertarians have their best chance at reaching that threshold in that race.

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In a phone interview Tuesday, Ainsworth said he was emphasizing the strong economy in Alabama and said he “hadn’t seen” Page-Nelson on the campaign trail.

“I know we’re working hard,” he said. I haven’t met my opponent. I don’t think libertarians are working, and I know my opponent isn’t.”

Page-Nelson said she was invited to appear by “10 to 15” members of the ADC; Reed said he didn’t know if that was the case but said there was “no bar” to her appearing.

“They won’t get the votes because of the ADC,” Reed said. “We have no control over what Republicans do, what independents do.”

Page-Nelson said she aimed at “educating” people at the event, and stressed common areas of agreement between the parties, including support for abortion rights and legalization of marijuana. She also said she wanted members to consider the implications of casting a straight-ticket ballot.

“If you’re looking at the ballot, you’re used to it being Democrat and Republican,” she said. “You could easily miss voting for a candidate that’s not Republican.”

Ainsworth said Tuesday he believes life begins at conception, “and I’m not changing my opinion.”

There are also considerable points of disagreement between the parties, including on gun access and public schools. Page-Nelson said she supports “school choice,” but acknowledged that Democrats have opposed such programs over concerns that they would cut funding to public schools.

“School choice is something beneficial to people of color,” said Page-Nelson, who is Black. “But school choice is a no-no because they fear that schools will be taken away from them.”

Page-Nelson also referred to the COVID outbreak as a “plandemic” and referred to conspiracy theories on the right that the virus came out of a lab in China. There is no evidence for that assertion, and most virologists believe the virus emerged through transmission from an animal.

Reed said the ADC would work to elect Democrats. But Page-Nelson said she thought she was able to make her case.

“They can’t do it as a group, but I don’t think I had anyone who didn’t say they weren’t going to vote for me,” she said.

Brian Lyman covers politics and state government for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Ruth Page-Nelson speaks at Alabama Democratic Conference