Will upcoming Alabama Republican primary elections bring more conservatives to Legislature?
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
Members of the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate serve for four-year terms. There are no term limits for Alabama lawmakers, so some stay for a few years while others serve for decades.
What is for certain is the past four years have been viewed as the most liberal group of legislators in recent state history. There is no question that some bills have become law that the majority of state citizens wanted to see. However, Alabama leaders should look to Florida and other states on true conservative governance.
Despite the fact Republicans hold the super majority in both Alabama Legislative chambers, Democrats have been very successful in blocking conservative bills and passing legislation they wanted to see passed.
It is clear that while Republicans are in charge, conservatives are not in control of the flow of legislation in Montgomery.
However, there are a number of retirements in the Alabama House and Senate, and a lot of the members leaving have voted along with Democrats as much as their conservative colleagues. Actually conservative legislators ran into roadblocks on multiple occasions when trying to stop bills they opposed. Thus, in the Republican Party Primary set for May 24th, the battle between candidates could be determined by who is the most conservative if they serve in the state Capitol. Usually, in Alabama a candidates’s position on conservative issues is the most important factor in who gets elected in contest within the GOP.
After the 2022 elections, we will see if Alabama lawmakers and the newly elected officials more truly reflect the true values of state citizens.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.