BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Campaign spending differs sharply in two Republican primaries for Alabama State Board of Education seats in north and northeast Alabama, with the District 6 race drawing far more money and spending than the open District 8 contest.
Voters on May 19 will choose Republican nominees in Districts 6 and 8. Both winners will face Democratic challengers in the November general election.
Campaign finance reports for the 2026 election cycle show District 6 incumbent Marie Manning and challenger Cathi Bradford together reported nearly $78,800 in monetary contributions and more than $92,600 in combined spending.
In District 8, where three Republicans are running for the seat being vacated by Wayne Reynolds, candidates together reported nearly $56,000 in monetary contributions and about $50,000 in spending.
Most contributions in both races came from individuals. Political action committees have played a larger role in District 6, where Manning and Bradford each reported more than $10,000 in PAC contributions.
State Board of Education members represent about 500,000 voters in each of Alabama’s eight districts. Four districts are up for election every four years. Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 were elected in 2024. The new terms for Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 begin in January.
While Districts 6 and 8 have contested Republican primaries, the other two State Board seats on the 2026 ballot do not.
District 2 incumbent Tracie West has no Republican primary challenger but will face Democrat Jamie McCurry in November.
District 4 board member Yvette Richardson has no challengers in the Democratic primary or general election and will return for a fifth term.
Campaign finance totals are from Alabama campaign finance reports for the 2026 election cycle. The reports distinguish between monetary contributions, non-monetary contributions and other receipts.
District 6
District 6 includes Cullman, St. Clair, Marshall, Etowah, Cherokee, Calhoun and most of Talladega counties.
Manning, first elected in 2022, reported $48,400 in monetary contributions, compared with $30,400 for Bradford, a Cullman County middle school teacher and retired Air Force reservist.
Manning received $10,000 from FARM PAC and $500 from BiPAC. She also received a $5,000 contribution from a business, with the rest of her monetary contributions coming from individuals.
Manning reported $2,700 in non-monetary contributions and $45,000 in other receipts. She has spent $63,700 and had $10,300 cash on hand as of May 1.
Bradford reported $10,000 from the 1776 Project PAC, which is registered in Virginia, and $500 from the Cornerstone Patriots PAC. She received $2,700 from businesses, with the rest of her monetary contributions coming from individuals.
Bradford also reported $570 in non-monetary contributions and $2,000 in other receipts. She has spent $29,000 and had $3,400 cash on hand as of May 1.
The Republican primary winner will face Democrat Angela Morgan in November.
District 8
District 8 includes Limestone, Madison, Jackson and DeKalb counties.
Three Republicans are running for the seat after Reynolds decided not to seek a third term.
Emily Jones, founder of the Alabama chapter of Moms for Liberty, reported the most monetary contributions in the District 8 Republican primary, with $26,400, all from individuals. She spent $25,700 and had $7400 cash on hand as of May 1.
Former Madison City Councilmember and school board member Connie Spears reported $19,400 in monetary contributions, including a $1,000 donation from DVA Holding Company PAC. Spears also reported $300 in non-monetary contributions and $14,000 in other receipts.
Spears has spent $15,000 and had $18,400 cash on hand as of May 1.
William Paul Matthews reported $9,600 in monetary contributions, all from individuals. He also reported $370 in non-monetary contributions and $2,000 in other receipts.
Matthews has spent $9,300 and had $2,300 cash on hand as of May 1. Alabama Daily News was unable to find a public campaign website or social media page for Matthews.
The District 8 Republican primary winner will face Democrat Shatika Armstrong in November.
