By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Parker was at Alabama Republican Party headquarters filing papers to qualify to run for chief justice.
“I am known as a strong social conservative,” Parker told reporters.
“With President Trump leading the fight to decentralize the federal regulatory state and restore our Tenth Amendment rights, the radical left is turning to blue cities in red states to move their agenda forward,” Parker said in a statement. “That’s why the Alabama Supreme Court needs strong, conservative leadership to push back against any unconstitutional infringement of citizens’ rights and why I’m running to provide that leadership.”
Parker warned that clandestine liberal groups have infiltrated Alabama and are trying to use the blue cities to turn Alabama red.
Tom Parker is a strong, cultural conservative, that was an ideological ally of former states Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore on the court.
Parker faced a complaint from liberal groups over comments he made on the radio critical of same sex marriage.
Most recently, the Southern Poverty Law Center attempted to have Justice Parker removed from the court for his opposition to the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
Parker said that he expects these organizations to spend millions of dollars to defeat him.
“There are a group of bigots who have a problem with a Justice who is a strong Christian who takes his faith seriously and acts on it in the public arena as opposed to those who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk,” Parker said. “It’s as if they want a court full of liberal atheists, and it’s pretty clear they do.”
“Last month we saw the effect that millions and millions of their anonymous outside dollars can have on Alabama,” Parker said. “They’ll lie and twist the truth any way they can to win and I’m expecting the same kind of assault against my record. The difference is this time we’re on to their clandestine scheme, and we’re going to fight back even harder.”
Parker said there is a clear difference in the primary between himself and appointed incumbent and “moderate Republican” Lyn Stuart.
“Unlike my politically correct opponent, who stands time and time again with those who will destroy our freedoms, my record of standing up, defending the Constitution, and fighting to preserve the nation our forefathers died for is clear to all,” Parker said.
Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended for the remainder of his term in 2016. While Moore was suspended, Stuart served the chief justice function. Once Moore retired to run for the open U.S. Senate seat Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Stuart as chief justice.
The major party primaries are on June 5, 2018.
