By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—Conservative Republican Dr. Stan Cooke says, it is not enough for Alabama’s Republican Party to be the “party of choice,” it must also be “the party of leadership,” and this is why he is running for ALGOP treasurer.
With a background in business finance, accounting and tax law, Cooke also serves as pastor in the greater Birmingham area. He oversees 10 other churches in Central Alabama as well, and trains pastors, church clerks and church bookkeepers in accounting practices. As a life-long Republican Cookes says, “I can say that I have never voted for a Democrat and I have never swapped parties. My first opportunity to work on a campaign was for Ronald Reagan in 1980 as a student at UAB. I have financially supported the State and National Republican Party for many years.”
For the last several months, Cooke has toured the State, speaking about what he believes should be the Alabama Republican Party’s values, virtues and vision.
On values: Cooke says the Party must represent “God-Country-Faith-Family….We have to be those people that defend the Constitution.” Wherever he goes he reminds people that In the 60’s and 70’s the Republican party pulled away from social conservatism and the answer to that was the Moral Majority. That brought the party back to the center and to the right. “It makes us the party of those values…The Moral Majority married itself to the Republican party and not to the Democrats. It elected Reagan in 1980. When we started getting away from our conservative economic principals then the Tea Party arose. I want to make sure that the Republican party never again has to have another group to rise up to remind us what we are supposed to be.”
On virtue: Cooke says, “Personal integrity and morality leadership are the heart of how the party’s leadership must operate…There’s a code word going on right now and I don’t know if I like it or not: the Transparency Idea. Transparency seems to be an accusation and at the same time, a mission, and I don’t agree with that. I’m gonna stick with the word integrity…We must operate with integrity, no secrets, everything in the light, not in darkness, nothing behind closed doors.” Cooke said he stands firm in his belief that the party’s virtues have to be grounded in the, “…virtues in the Constitution, in our faith, and in our churches.”
His vision: Cooke says the party should work to expand its platform to every voter in Alabama. “We need to inform everyone who will listen of our values and our virtues, to the end that we increase every politically elected position from the County Sheriff to Probate Judge…to elect strong, conservative valued men and women in those offices.”
“The Republican Party of Alabama has been granted an opportunity by the Voters to set the State of Alabama on a path of economic, educational and social prosperity – we must not disappoint them. They are asking us to safeguard Freedom and Liberty. They have delegated to Republicans the responsibility of protecting the Constitution. I believe that everything that is wrong with Alabama can be corrected by everything that is right with the Republican Party.”
If elected Treasurer, Cooke says he will bring 25 plus years of leadership experience to the Steering Committee to protect the Republican Party Platform, promote the party agenda, and work as a team-player.
