MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - In 2010, a slate of Republicans won control of the Alabama Legislature after a high-dollar, coordinated campaign ended 136 years of control by Democrats. But this year many of those GOP victors find themselves playing defense as other Republicans try to unseat them.
Some of the biggest slugfests of the election season are occurring in the GOP legislative primaries that will be held June 3. Republican legislative leaders said the challenge is being fueled by political foes such as the teachers’ lobby, which has often been at odds with current legislators. Challengers say the often business-aligned majority has short-changed tea party voters and failed to live up to 2010 promises to change Montgomery.
“It was about going after the Democrat and trying to get the majority. Four years later, which we predicted would happen, the fight is in the primary,” said Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.
“You’ve gotten these factions that have come together and are opposing our incumbent legislators because we’ve done some really innovative and reform-minded things over the last four years. The people who used to be in power, namely the Alabama Education Association, I mean, they are desperate to get back in power,” Hubbard said.
John Rice, a former state senator and founder of a nonprofit and a political action committee backing challengers, said Republicans will almost certainly retain legislative control. The question is, “Which Republicans?”
“What’s at stake is the vote on the leadership of both the houses. How much control they exert on legislation as it goes through committees,” Rice said.
Rice noted how repeal of the Common Core school standards, a rallying cry to some conservative groups, fell flat with current leaders.
“We’ve been trying to repeal Common Core but the (Business Council of Alabama) crowd who supports it has the power in the legislature to stop any coherent and reasoned approach to debate on it,” Rice said.
The air wars of insult-lodging campaign ads start each night with the evening news.
“Mike Hubbard didn’t change Montgomery. Montgomery changed Mike Hubbard,” says a campaign ad by AEA’s political action campaign targeting the speaker of the house.
“If I wanted our children to fail .. I’d even slip liberal politicians into our primaries, pretend they were conservatives,” says an ad paid for by a nonprofit headed by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, criticizing AEA.
Large sums are being spent on both sides.
Former Gov. Bob Riley’s Alabama 2014, which is dedicated to maintaining a GOP legislative majority, has spent more than $1.3 million.
The Alabama Education Association has spent more than $1.2 million in advertising with National Research Services, LLC, which only lists a Tennessee mailbox as its address. Much of the money was spent on behalf of GOP challengers.
AEA Executive Secretary Henry Mabry could not be reached for comment.
Ric’s Stop Common Core PAC, which is supporting challengers, has gotten its money from Rice’s Alabama Foundation for Limited Government.
Marsh’s challenger, Steve Guede, a longtime organizer with the Calhoun County branch of Rainy Day Patriots, said the current GOP majority has given tea party Republicans “the short end of the stick” in Montgomery and has “punished” teachers in its battles with AEA.
“They have punished teachers severely to try to break the back of the AEA. I don’t have a problem with teachers. I like teachers,” Guede said.
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