By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Monday. January 4, the campaign of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton (D) issued a statement following the Alabama Democratic Party’s certification that Hillary for America submitted the requisite number of signatures needed for Hillary Clinton’s name to appear on the March 1st Primary Ballot in Alabama.
Hillary for America’s Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall released a statement pledging a ground-up, grassroots campaign. Marshall said, “We’re building our campaign in Alabama from the ground up, driven by a diverse, grassroots coalition that knows Hillary Clinton is the candidate who can stop Republicans from stripping away the progress that we’ve made. As President, Hillary Clinton will prioritize the concerns that keep Alabamians up at night – keeping us safe, creating good-paying jobs, reforming our criminal justice system, making college more affordable, cutting taxes for the middle class and expanding voting rights. We’re fighting hard to earn the nomination with a coalition of Alabama voters who know Hillary Clinton has a proven track record of fighting for families and the toughness and experience to get things done.”
According to original reporting by CNN’s Dan Merica Secretary Clinton said in Davenport, Iowa on Monday, “I am absolutely determined that we’re going to make sure we have a Democrat to succeed President Obama so we don’t let the Republicans rip away the progress we have made together.”
Sec. Clinton said, “We have to be prepared to take them on and to confuse them by telling the truth to the American people about what would happen if that were to occur.”
While most observers expect that, barring something dramatic, reliably red Alabama will support whomever the Republicans nominate for President; Alabama can still have a major impact on who gets the Democratic Party nomination.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is leading the race for the Democratic nomination in most national polls; but Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) is leading in polling in New Hampshire. If the early states split between Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton then the March 1 states, including Alabama, will have an enormous impact on who ultimately gets the nomination. The Clinton campaign hopes that Blacks in South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Texas and the other Southern States will come out strong for Hillary in those southern primaries and give her a crushing lead in the delegate count moving forward.
The former New York Senator, Secretary of State, and First Lady has already made campaign stops in both Montgomery and Hoover in the fall. Senator Sanders met with 400 political activists in Birmingham over the summer.
Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is also running for the Democratic nomination for President.
