Alabama Governor's Race 2018

[StormStalker]

I think we have the primaries coming up in June so who are y'all liking early in the campaign?

 

[Kory]

I really like Kay Ivey. She's done pretty well since taking over for Bentley. Record low state unemployment, record high investments by business into the state, reforming the primary education system in the state (and we sorely need it). We actually have a state budget that works now. Not to mention, she's restored a positive image to the state of Alabama and its government that was marred by Bentley.

She's an Auburn grad but I am 100% behind her.

 

[Mike S]

Ivey has done surprisingly well but as of now I'll be voting for Tommy Battle. Huntsville has got the short end of the stick from Montgomery ever since the Civil Rights era at least. We pump way more money into the state coffers than we get back. Ivey has been up here a lot lately spending money because she knows Battle is a formidable opponent. It is time we have a governor that is for all of the state and not just Birmingham south.

 

[Kory]

Battle's stances on a lot of positions are too nebulous for me to get behind him.

 

[StormStalker]

Didn’t Battle endorse Roy Moore? I’m sure that will be brought up. @Kory how do you feel about Walt Maddox? How do people in Tuscaloosa like him?

 

[Mike S]

Didn’t Battle endorse Roy Moore? I’m sure that will be brought up. @Kory how do you feel about Walt Maddox? How do people in Tuscaloosa like him?

Battle and Ivey both voted for Moore. I expressed my feelings to Battle but apparently my concerns weren't important to him that day.

 

[Kory]

Didn’t Battle endorse Roy Moore? I’m sure that will be brought up. @Kory how do you feel about Walt Maddox? How do people in Tuscaloosa like him?

The people love Walt here. For the first time since he was elected to mayor in 2005, he faced a challenger last year (but won with 90% of the vote). I'm indifferent on him. The city of Tuscaloosa has seen explosive growth in his time as mayor....and we are the fastest growing (% wise) out of the top 5 cities in Alabama. His leadership after the tornado was exemplary, but I feel he has coat-tailed as of late off of those accomplishments. My biggest concern has been the uptick in crime, which isn't completely unexpected when you grow over 10,000 residents since 2010, but he has been slow to adapt on some of the growth. Then again, a lot of it can fall back onto the city council as well.

 

[WesL]

Battle and Ivey both voted for Moore. I expressed my feelings to Battle but apparently my concerns weren't important to him that day.

I too voiced my thoughts on that as well. Especially when Battle came out with the statement that Moore was the Republican and that it was end of story. That type of blind type of support just pisses me off and it sucks because I like Tommy Battle and what he has done for Huntsville and N. Alabama. I also firmly believe that Montgomery forgets about us until they need to look good. Look at the amount of money spent by ALDOT in Montgomery for sign boards and safety systems and expanded highways and we have I565 gridlock EVERYDAY and ALDOT has basically told us too bad. Ugh.

So yeah I don't know who I'm voting for at this point. Maybe Battle can redeem himself, Ivey is okay but I think she lacks the spunk and has taken credit for a lot of plans put (pains me to say this) forward by Bentley.

 

[StormStalker]

I too think that Ivey seems to be taking credit for some of the luv gov's accomplishments as they come to completion.

 

[StormStalker]

What are some of the topics that y’all think that are likely to campaigned for or against. We already know Maddox and Cobb are supporting education lotteries. What about medical marijuana? It seems support has been growing in favor of some sort of legalization across the south.

 

[Kory]

While Walt Maddox is out campaigning for governor, Tuscaloosa has seen a rash of deadly shootings...nearly daily. The inept police chief is sitting on his hands and the mayor is MIA. No thanks to Walt for governor...

 

[Evan]

Ivey has done surprisingly well but as of now I'll be voting for Tommy Battle. Huntsville has got the short end of the stick from Montgomery ever since the Civil Rights era at least. We pump way more money into the state coffers than we get back. Ivey has been up here a lot lately spending money because she knows Battle is a formidable opponent. It is time we have a governor that is for all of the state and not just Birmingham south.

It's funny because people in the Birmingham area definitely feel like Montgomery doesn't give a crap about Birmingham. They've constantly shafted us on roads, highways, economic development projects, etc.

I think we can all agree that Alabama needs to get away from the rural districts controlling the legislature and let the cities and counties have more home rule, better focus on the economic engines of Alabama (Huntsville, Bham, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, etc) instead of the pet projects for legislators from small, rural areas.

It's not as if the money is even going towards the black belt which continues to be an abysmal example of the horrible leadership in Alabama.

Like it or not, Ivey represents the status quo. She's been a politician or in the government forever. I'm not opposed to that if someone has fresh ideas and a verifiable background. We don't need another disastrous backbencher like Bentley, but the same people that have been in Montgomery for decades have been corrupted by it or are blind to it.

I'd vote for a Battle or maybe even a Maddox.

 

[Mike S]

Nothing bugs me more when I'm voting than having to decide on an issue that is pertinent to a county I don't live in and to no one else. It should not be up to me and why we still do business this way in 2018 blows my mind.

 

[Arcadia]

Nothing bugs me more when I'm voting than having to decide on an issue that is pertinent to a county I don't live in and to no one else. It should not be up to me and why we still do business this way in 2018 blows my mind.

I guess for the same reason we still set our friggin clocks back for Daylight Savings Time. Because 'it's just what we do'. There's not even a good reason for it anymore. We just get stuck in this routine of 'it's always been done this way' and we just keep on trucking on with it. We do a lot things that makes no damn sense.

 

[WesL]

Here is the time for Governor Kay Ivey to shine with the Huntsville crowd that could be strong supporters of Tommy Battle. Mo Brooks sent a letter stating that I565 has got to be widened. In case you aren't from the Huntsville area the traffic on I565 backs up each morning and afternoon because some genius ALDOT planner thought it was a good idea to reduce from 4 to 3 to 2 lanes the closer you get to I-65. With a massive Toyota/Mazda plant coming to the area plus the continued growth of Huntsville and Decatur, it is imperative that this expansion happen sooner than later.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2018/03/rep_mo_brooks_to_gov_kay_ivey.html

 

[JayF]

I too voiced my thoughts on that as well. Especially when Battle came out with the statement that Moore was the Republican and that it was end of story. That type of blind type of support just pisses me off and it sucks because I like Tommy Battle and what he has done for Huntsville and N. Alabama. I also firmly believe that Montgomery forgets about us until they need to look good. Look at the amount of money spent by ALDOT in Montgomery for sign boards and safety systems and expanded highways and we have I565 gridlock EVERYDAY and ALDOT has basically told us too bad. Ugh.

So yeah I don't know who I'm voting for at this point. Maybe Battle can redeem himself, Ivey is okay but I think she lacks the spunk and has taken credit for a lot of plans put (pains me to say this) forward by Bentley.

I talked with someone who knows about the government deals and the 565 issue. It has finally been approved for expansion. Unfortunately, the start date is set for 2027. I asked him why so far out and he said that they needed to do something to get it on the books. Now that is officially on the books, they can push to get it started sooner.


I agree blindly voting for a party is not the way to go, but lately, it just feels like the candidates do not have the best interest of the country in mind. Instead, we are voting for the person who fits one or two main issues and we do not pay attention to the remaining issues. We need to get back to the country as a whole instead of our selfish beliefs.

 

[StormStalker]

I wish they could somehow extend 565 to the Shoals. It would make it a lot easier for the folks that commute back and forth from here to there.

 

[JayF]

I wish they could somehow extend 565 to the Shoals. It would make it a lot easier for the folks that commute back and forth from here to there.

They were supposed to be covered by the interstate project that would have connected Atlanta to Memphis via Huntsville. But because of Politics and many other issues, that interstate was never created.

 

[JayF]

http://blog.al.com/times-views/2012/09/death_of_a_dream_the_memphis-h.html

 

[David in SW Blount]

Here is the time for Governor Kay Ivey to shine with the Huntsville crowd that could be strong supporters of Tommy Battle. Mo Brooks sent a letter stating that I565 has got to be widened. In case you aren't from the Huntsville area the traffic on I565 backs up each morning and afternoon because some genius ALDOT planner thought it was a good idea to reduce from 4 to 3 to 2 lanes the closer you get to I-65. With a massive Toyota/Mazda plant coming to the area plus the continued growth of Huntsville and Decatur, it is imperative that this expansion happen sooner than later.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2018/03/rep_mo_brooks_to_gov_kay_ivey.html

I certainly hope this gets done. Huntsville must have some of the worst interstate access of any city its size in the entire country.