Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) reported having raised over $270,000 in cash and in-kind contributions in the first 12 days of October for her bid to win her own term as Governor. During the month before an election, the Secretary of State’s office requires that candidates submit weekly campaign finance reports.
Gov. Ivey’s campaign reported cash contributions of $269,133 from October 1 through 12. Ivey also had in-kind contributions of $1,561.97 and expenditures of $422,668.69. Gov. Ivey also had line of credit expenditures of $318.95. Gov. Ivey closed October 12 with a cash balance of $357,352.76.
Ivey got a boost from two major contributions. The Business Council of Alabama’s (BCA) Progress PAC donated $50,000 to elect Ivey. The Automobile Dealers Association of Alabama’s Autopac donated $25,000 to the Ivey campaign.
Ivey was recently ranked as the third most popular governor in the country and has had held double digit leads in all the polls that the Alabama Political Reporter is aware of to this point.
Kay Ivey served two terms as state Treasurer and was serving her second term as Alabama Lieutenant Governor when elevated to the role in April 2017 after then Governor Robert Bentley (R) abruptly resigned after the House Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings.
Ivey grew up on a small cattle farm in Wilcox County, went to college at Auburn University, worked as a classroom teacher, and then went to work in state government. Kay Ivey’s birthday was on Monday. She is now 74. The oldest currently serving governor in the county is Jerry Brown (D) of California at age 80.
Ivey’s Democratic opponent is the Mayor of Tuscaloosa, Walter “Walt” Maddox.
The Maddox campaign reported cash contributions of $102,260 during the same period. Maddox also had in-kind contributions of $100. His campaign reported expenditures of $387,749.70 and an ending cash balance of $214,869.53.
While Maddox did not report a major contributor, the largest donation on his latest report is $10.000 from T-PAC, whose address is 441 High Street, Montgomery. That is also the address of John Teague and Associates, a prominent Montgomery lobbying firm.
No Democrat has won a governor’s race in Alabama in twenty years, the last being Don Siegelman who was elected in 1998. He served one term.
To this point Republican candidates in Alabama have raised $43,881,643.76. Democratic candidates in Alabama have raised $13,105,930.02. Independents and third party candidates have only managed to raise $477,066.38.
This does not include federal candidates who make their reports to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Federal campaign finance reporting requirements are much less strenuous than the Alabama requirements. Federal candidates report quarterly. The reports from the second quarter were due on Monday and, as of press time, were not yet available for viewing online.
The next required weekly filing is due on October 22.
The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 6.
