Nov. 8 Election: Libertarians offering choices on Morgan County ballot

Oct. 23—An intentional push by the Libertarian Party will give it a large presence on Morgan County ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, but a political analyst said the party's candidates aren't favored in any of those races and it faces an uphill struggle to gain footing in the state.

Libertarians will have 15 candidates on the Morgan ballot in local, state and congressional races compared to eight for Democrats and 27 for Republicans.

Political analyst and retired Athens State University political science professor Jess Brown said the Libertarian Party made an impressive effort to meet the state's threshold of collecting more signatures than the required 3% of the number of registered voters in the 2018 gubernatorial general election.

"They've met the threshold and are doing a good job fielding candidates in this general election," Brown said. "But it is still pretty much a symbolic effort on their part."

Gavin Goodman, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Alabama, said he is "very optimistic" his party candidates will make some traction against some of the longtime incumbents in the county races.

"We spent about $250,000 collecting nearly 80,000 valid signatures from 2020 to 2022 to get statewide ballot access," he said. "Our initial goal was 70,000. We needed about 51,000. We haven't had ballot access in 20 years."

He said the party had 20 volunteers and six paid petitioners out collecting the signatures to overcome what he called the state's "most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation."

In turn, Libertarians have fielded candidates in the local state Senate District 3 race, state Representative District 7, 8 and 9 races and the Morgan County District 2 commission race.

"In two years, we will have Libertarian candidates in a lot more grassroots political races," Goodman said. "We're expecting a great turnout in 2024. We're not a fly-by-night organization. We've been around 50 years. We believe in liberty and justice for all, and our message is getting out there."

"The signatures had to be counted and validity checked," he said. "(Secretary of State) John Merrill contacted us the day before the primary (May 24) and informed us that we had gained ballot access."

Brown said the Libertarian message "sounds appealing in abstract."

"They want less government, which sounds good, but the party's no-government philosophy is extremely unpopular at the ballot box," he said. "Their philosophy begins to take away government programs that are popular with voters: Social Security, veterans benefits, drug control laws."

Brown predicts Republicans will capture "nearly all" of Alabama's Nov. 8 elections, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tennessee line. He said the Libertarians have a long way to go before overtaking a flailing Democratic Party in the state.

"The Democratic Party still has a much bigger base," he said. "Democrats have a problem with candidate recruitment, raising money, a truckload of other problems. But in Alabama the vast majority of people identify themselves as Republican or Democrat. You would have a tough time walking down the street finding someone who has the Libertarian label."

Joan Cox, Morgan County Democratic Party executive committee chair, said she doesn't see the Libertarian Party as a threat.

"They are more likely to steal voters from the Republicans than from the Democrats," she said.

Following is a look at Morgan County Commission and local legislative races that are contested.

Senate District 3

Libertarian Rick Chandler, 64, of Huntsville is running against longtime incumbent state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, in District 3.

"I offer a fresh perspective to voters," said Chandler, a retired engineer and first-time political candidate. "I'm self-funded, have no strings to lobbyists, special interest groups or political action committees." He said he favors the lottery for education and the elimination of the 4% state grocery tax.

"The lottery will provide more dollars for education that is needed in this state. It will be a voluntary tax," he said. "If you play the lottery, you will be doing so knowing you might not win. It will be a revenue stream for better schools."

Orr, meanwhile, seeking his fifth term in Montgomery, said he will continue "demanding accountability for our tax dollars and fighting for our shared conservative beliefs."

"On issues ranging from crime to illegal immigration to accountability in government and education, I've held the Montgomery insiders' feet to the fire and fought for the traditional Alabama values that District 3 voters embrace," Orr said. "My conservative fiscal policy is evidenced by the fact when Democrats controlled the Legislature, the painful, mid-term budget cuts known as proration occurred on an average of every other year, but since I became a budget committee chairman, they've not been required even once."

House District 8

In the District 8 House race, Libertarian Angela Walser, 30, of Decatur, in her first political race, is attempting to unseat Terri Collins, R-Decatur.

"I'll do a better job than the people we have in Montgomery now," said Walser, a wife, mother of four and private tutor. "More and more of our rights have been stripped away, especially in the past couple of years."

She said she will attempt to restore personal liberties in part through school choice and school vouchers. "We don't have public education, we have government education," she said. "We should have a free-market approach to education. We have a lot of home-school families who are paying taxes for the public education system. School vouchers will be fair. I feel public education is set up to babysit and prepare kids to pass standardized tests."

Collins, 64, R-Decatur, is seeking her fourth term. She said she is proud of her work as chair of the Education Policy Committee and as a member of the Education Ways and Means Committee.

"I'm a citizen who believes strongly that education is the solution to all of our country's problems and that economic development is the key to making our community better," she said. "I've sponsored Literacy Act legislation and we're seeing some improvement in student success."

House District 9

Libertarian Gregory Bodine of Hartselle, who is squaring off against state House District 9 Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, said he is running to "give people a choice."

"(Stadthagen) had no competition in the primary and there is no Democrat in the race," said Bodine, 45, a cybersecurity contractor with the Department of Defense, in his first political race. "This is a prime opportunity for the Libertarian Party to make an impact. It seems the Democratic Party has all but imploded. They have very few candidates in local races."

Bodine said, if elected, he will support a new state constitution. "It's the most amended state constitution in the nation with more than 1,000 amendments," he said. "It's long overdue."

Stadthagen, 45, said he is proud of what he has accomplished in the past four years in Montgomery.

"We have the strongest budget we have ever had and we have fought hard to stop liberal attempts to change Alabama's operations, government and to change our values," Stadthagen said. "We have won every one of those fights and I will continue to stand strong against liberal attempts to influence our government and our children."

Morgan Commission District 2

In the Morgan County Commission District 2 race, Libertarian Jonny Letson, of Hartselle, is challenging incumbent Randy Vest, R-Hartselle.

Letson, 52, a software engineer, said he will push for the county and city to drop a half-cent off the sales tax to ease the burden on shoppers. "That could spur more economic activity and we can make the money back from the increased activity," Letson said. "I'm also for school choice. I know the Republicans talk about it, but they have dropped the ball on that issue."

Vest, 63, has been in office 12 years and is a past president of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. He points to the improvements to the county's West Park in Neel in recent years. A $1.9 million gymnasium is under construction there. "We've built a relationship with the people to do the work the county needs," he said. "Through parks and recreation, we are able to better serve the youths of the county."

Vest, who lives in the Rocky Ford community, cited five bridge replacements, 97 miles of repaving, two new senior centers and the opening of the Morgan Service Center in Hartselle as some of the accomplishments in District 2 since he took office.

Morgan Commission District 1

In District 1, Jeff Clark, 58, of Decatur, is seeking his seventh term as commissioner. He is opposed by the Rev. Samuel T. King, a Democrat.

"I'm trying to help people when they need help," Clark said. "I have been a good steward of the county's money and looking to provide better roads and services."

He said the county is installing an incinerator pad in Priceville that will allow the county to offer pickup of yard waste and limbs. He said the service should be available in 2023.

"We've spent $1.7 million of gas tax money in District 1, paving 15 to 17 miles of county roads in the past year," he said. "We need the gas tax money to keep the roads up."

King, meanwhile, said he is running to represent more diversity, not just in District 1 but the entire county.

"We need to think diversity," he said. "I want all voters to have a voice. I want every nationality in the county to have a seat at the table." He said he plans to have monthly meetings to meet with the district's residents and take their concerns to the commission.

"The commissioners we currently have don't reach out to their entire community," he said.

Unopposed candidates

Morgan candidates with no opposition in the general election are Parker Duncan Moore, state House District 4; Scott Anderson, district attorney; Ray Long, commission chairman; Ron Puckett, sheriff; Jeff Chunn, coroner; Tracie Turrentine, Morgan County Schools superintendent; Paul Holmes, Morgan County Schools board District 4; and John Holley, Morgan County Schools board District 7. All are Republicans.

Morgan County Probate Judge Greg Cain said he is projecting a 45% voter turnout in the general election. He said in 2018 the turnout was 49% and in 2014, the county's general election had a 43% turnout. He said his office had issued more than 200 absentee ballots as of Thursday.

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.