Governor Kay Ivey in her re-election kickoff speech in Birmingham on Thursday ticked off a list of popular talking points, noting the state’s fight against President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates and Alabama’s low unemployment rate.
“We’re going to hear a lot of talk in this campaign from politicians making lofty promises,” Ivey told those gathered at Lloyd’s Restaurant in Birmingham for her campaign kickoff speech. “A lot of talk from politicians who want to run down Alabama, and talk bad about our state. W’re not going to have it. If they don’t like Alabama they can head on to New York or California, or even Illinois.”
Ivey noted the state’s low unemployment rate and commented on the state’s response to COVID-19, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, as “flip-flopping Fauci”
“Here in Alabama we did what we needed to do to make sure that we stayed open during this awful pandemic, and keep our young people in school where they belong,” Ivey said.
Ivey has taken criticism from some Republicans for her statewide mask order and extensions of that order, and for orders early in the pandemic to shutter some businesses to slow the spread of the virus. Those actions drew praise from still others in the medical community who credited the actions as having saved lives.
Alabama has the smallest percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID in the country, and is the only state with less than 50 percent, at 49.8 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state also has the highest number of COVID deaths per capita in the U.S. at 356 deaths per 100,000 residents.
“Alabama is the greatest state in the country. We’ve accomplished so much together to move our state forward, and the best is yet to come. I’m proud of my conservative record,” Ivey said. “Together, we’ve created some 50,000 good paying Alabama jobs. We’ve built the best business climate in the country, and we’ve delivered the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama history.”
“Together, we’ve protected our conservative values. We’ve banned Critical Race Theory, we’ve banned transgender sports in our schools, and I signed the strongest pro-life law in the country. We will never use tax dollars to kill our babies and we will protect every single unborn life here in Alabama,” Ivey continued.
“I am asking all of you for your vote in the May Primary. Together, we’re going to keep Alabama working, and bring even more great progress to our Sweet Home Alabama. There’s no step too high for a high stepper!” Ivey said, concluding her speech.
