By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Friday, Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead and Party Political Director John Kay issued a joint statement to announce that Kay was resigning as ALGOP Political Director effective in just one week.
Chairman Bill Armistead said, “When John Kay joined ALGOP back in April as Political Director we knew that we had recruited a very bright, young ‘up and comer’ within the political ranks for the Republican Party. John has been instrumental in helping ALGOP develop a targeted 2014 campaign and while he will not be around to see it fully implemented we wish him well as he moves on to his next political assignment.”
Political Director John Kay said, “I am thankful to Chairman Armistead for giving me the opportunity to serve as Political Director for ALGOP. Members of the Steering Committee, State Executive Committee, county parties and Republicans from across Alabama made me feel at home and welcome.”
Kay continued, “I have been blessed with an opportunity to help Republicans reclaim the US Senate from the Democrats in 2014, and I will use my abilities to that end. Taking the US Senate next year will be a big step toward reversing the effects of Obama’s presidency on our nation and I am excited to play a part in that effort.”
The last year has been turbulent for Alabama Republicans. While they retained their total dominance in state elections, ousting the last Democratic statewide office holder, Public Service Commission President Lucy Baxley and easily overcoming a well funded late challenge to Republican Chief Justice Roy Moore, they were stung by President Barack Obama’s (D) re-election and failure by Republicans to gain control of the U.S. Senate.
ALGOP press secretary Shana Kluck left in November to take a job in Washington and Executive Director T.J. Maloney left shortly afterwards. In February, Chairman Bill Armistead faced a challenge to his chairmanship from former Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Matt Fridy in the Party’s annual Winter meeting. ALGOP press secretary Jonathon Barbee left after just a few months on the job to run for the Public Service Commission. Bitter divisions on the Alabama Republican Steering Committee boiled over into proposed bylaws changes to remove steering committee members who spoke out against planks in the Pary Platform. Those changes were rejected in the party’s annual Summer Meeting of the executive committee.
