Alabama candidates have filed their mandatory campaign finance reports over the month of September with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Alabama Republicans have continued to outraise Democrats as the general election approaches. This is particularly true in the hard fought battles for the Alabama State Senate.
To this point in the 2018 election cycle Alabama Republican candidates have raised $41,041,107 while Alabama Democratic Party candidates have raised only $11,973,223 combined. That is a 3.5 to one advantage for Republicans. The independents and third party candidates have managed to raise only $430,960 combined in this election cycle. This does not include federal candidates.
In the month of September, Alabama Republican candidates raised $4,428,816. Democrats raised $2,511,611 and independents raised $171,712.
Republicans hold super majorities in both the Alabama Senate and the Alabama House of Representatives and are having to defend against Democrats. Generally, in the first midterm election following a presidential election the voters reward the party that is out of power with a big wave election. Republicans had that in 2010 after two years of the Barack H. Obama (D) presidency. Now the GOP has the White House and Democrats are seeking a “blue wave” mid-term election similar to take control of the Congress and State Legislature.
Republicans have a commanding super majority of twenty-six to eight to one in the Alabama Senate and Democrats are hopeful that they can cut deep into that GOP majority, particularly since the legislature elected in November will be the one that will be tasked with redistricting the state after the 2020 Census.
In Senate District One incumbent Senator Tim Melson (R) raised $39,100 in cash contributions, had $3489 in in-kind contributions, had expenditures of $101,534 and ended with a cash balance of $140.685. The challenger, Caroline Self (D) had cash Contributions of $20,356 in September, in-kind contributions of $4,142, expenditures of $17,998, line of credit expenditures of $714, and an ending Balance of $46,786.
In Senate District Two, Tom Butler (R) reported September cash contributions of $30,100, in-kind contributions of $125, expenditures of $36,409, and an ending balance of $65,506. Amy Wasyluka (D) reported September cash contributions of $7,031, in-kind contributions of $637, expenditures of $6,573, and an ending cash balance of $10,095.
In Senate District Six, incumbent Senator Larry Stutts (R) reported September cash contributions of $60,650 (which includes $25,000 from the Alabama Forestry PAC), in-kind contributions of $170, expenditures of $50,904, and an ending balance of $126,943. Challenger state Representative Johnny Mack Morrow (D) contributed $200,000 to his own campaign in September, had cash contributions of $73,567, in-kind contributions of $1,600, expenditures of $233,377, and an ending balance of $119,993. GOP insiders have told the Alabama Political Reporter that this is the race that most concerns them.
In Senate District Seven, Sam Givhan (R) reported September cash contributions of $75,880, in-kind contributions of $5,069, expenditures of $3,412, and an ending balance of $138,051. Deborah Lynn Barros (D) reported September contributions of $1,106, expenditures of $989, and an ending cash balance of $58.
In Senate District 10, Andrew Jones (R) reported cash contributions of $52,870, in-kind contributions of $16,881, expenditures of$31,004, line of credit expenditures of $6,147, and an ending balance of $33,583. State Representative Craig Ford (I) reported September cash contributions of $73,950, in-kind contributions of $1,000, expenditures of $66,610, and a cash ending balance of $92,021. This battle for an open seat is hotly contested.
In Senate District 11 incumbent Senator Jim McClendon (R) reported cash contributions of just $13,000, receipts from other sources of $13, expenditures of $25,650, line of credit expenditures of $520, and an ending balance of $269,772. Carl Carter (D) reports September cash contributions of $1,314, expenditures of $2,293.48 and an ending balance of $5,632.
In Senate District 12 incumbent Senator Del Marsh (R) reported September cash contributions of $65,300, expenditures of $11,281, and an ending balance of $255,205. On Thursday, Marsh added to that with a $30,000 contribution from the Autodealers Association of Alabama. James Williams (D) reports September cash contributions of $1,630, in-kind contributions of $315, receipts from other sources of $187, and expenditures $2,370, for an ending cash balance of $4,629.
In Senate District 13 Randy Price (R) reported September cash contributions of $71,450, in-kind contributions of $11,955, expenditures of $11,601, and an ending cash balance of $93,465. James Turner (D) had September cash contributions of $8,075, in-kind contributions of $184, expenditures of $12,248, and an ending cash balance of $13,658.
In Senate District 14, incumbent Senator Cam Ward (R) has reported September cash contributions of $27,325, expenditures of $23,888, and an ending balance of $180,700. Durwood McDonald (D) reported September cash contributions of $278, expenditures of $81, and an ending balance of $2,442.
In Senate District 16, incumbent Senator J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner (R) reported September cash contributions of only $7,250, expenditures of $1,115, and a closing cash balance of $487,951. Lindsey Deckard (D) reported raising $2,025 in September, receipts from other sources of $4,394, expenditures of $5,591, and an ending balance of $2,560.
In Senate District 21, incumbent Senator Gerald Allen (R) reported September cash contributions of $6,750, expenditures of $29,644, and an ending balance of $129,489. Patrick Burnham (D) reported cash contributions of $2,025, receipts from other sources of $4,394, expenditures of $5,591 and an ending balance of $2,560.
In Senate District 23 Malike Sanders-Fortier (D) reports September cash contributions of $1,000, expenditures of $9,416, and an ending balance of $15,970. Mark Story (I) reported September cash contributions of $1,800, no expenditures, and a cash balance of $2,167.
In Senate District 26 incumbent Senator David “Coach” Burkette (D) reports cash contributions of $54,500, expenditures of $36,024, and an ending balance of $29,763. Darrell “D.J.” Johnson (R) reports no September cash contributions, in-kind contributions of $1,125, no expenditures, and an ending balance of $1445.
In Senate District 27, incumbent Senator Tom Whatley (R) reports September cash contributions of $170,645, a major contribution of $25,000 from the Alabama Forestry PAC, in-kind contributions of $2,447, expenditures of $206,033, and an ending cash balance of $40,772. Nancy Bendinger (D) reports September cash contributions of $2,867, in-kind contributions of $708, expenditures of $6,207, and an ending balance of $5,461.
In Senate District 32, Chris Elliott (R) reports September cash contributions of $39,600, expenditures of $200, and an ending balance of $51,813. Jason Fisher (D) reports September cash contributions of $4,093, in-kind contributions of $150, receipts from other sources of $3,800, expenditures of $8,902, and an ending balance of $8,147.
In Senate District 35 state Representative David Sessions (R) reported cash contributions of $35,000, $125 in in-kind contributions, no expenditures and an ending cash balance of $230,694. Thomas Holmes (D) reported cash contributions of $5000, expenditures of $2,038, and an ending balance of $5479.
In the Alabama Governor’s race, Kay Ivey (R) raised a total of $735,457 in the month of September, bringing her total cash contributions in this election to $6,183,622. Ivey had September expenditures of $563,819.50 plus line of credit expenditures of $2,340.16 for an ending cash balance: $510,888.45 entering October.
Walter “Walt” Maddox (D) reported total cash contributions of $373,208 plus in-kind contributions of $14,020.09. Maddox’s campaign reported total expenditures of $349,327.64. Maddox entered October with a cash on hand balance of $500,339.23.
The general election will be November 6, 2018.
