MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Republican governors or other elected Republicans in Alabama who appoint a Democrat to an elected office could be kept off the ballot in the next election cycle, according to a new rule adopted by the ALGOP on Saturday.
Members of the Alabama Republican Party’s executive committee approved the rule at their annual summer meeting. It says starting in 2027, “any Republican elected official shall appoint only Republicans to fill vacancies for all partisan elected offices that may be filled by such official.
“Failure to heed this admonition will be viewed negatively by the candidate committee,” the rule reads.
“When you’ve been given the opportunity and the privilege, then you should be appointing Republicans as a Republican,” rule author Suzette Josey of Autauga County told reporters after the meeting attended by about 280 Republicans from around the state.
Sam Givhan, a state senator from Huntsville, successfully added language later in the rule specifying Republicans in partisan offices. The rule largely applies to the governor and not, say, mayors in nonpartisan offices, he said later.
In 2022, gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard accused Gov. Kay Ivey of appointing Democrats to several judicial seats.
“This has happened at least a dozen times in the last 10 years. We’ve seen appointments of Democrats in counties where I believe there were qualified Republicans to serve,” said Andrew Sorrell, chairman of the party’s bylaw committee, during discussion of the change. Sorrell is also the state auditor and is running for secretary of state.
Givhan told meeting members he was worried about restricting a governor’s ability to make appointments, giving a hypothetical scenario where a Gov. Tommy Tuberville would like to appoint a former Auburn football player who happens to be a Democrat to fill a position in rural and predominantly Democratic Macon County.
“Do we really think Coach isn’t a Republican?” Givhan said. “I’m worried about tying the hands of the executive branch on a decision like that.”
During the meeting, ALGOP Chairman John Wahl highlighted the ALGOP’s expanded reach with Black Alabamians and efforts to elect more Republicans in historically Democrat counties.
But Givhan, who is originally from rural Dallas County, and others said there are still counties where it would be hard to find a qualified Republican for some elected seats.
“I can see where an executive would be inclined to put the most conservative, electable Democrats in if you can, and we’re going to throw arrows at that executive now?” Givhan said.
The rule says that if the governor or other official can’t find a GOP candidate, she or he can reach out to the party for help. If that doesn’t work, “the candidate committee shall not view said appointment negatively.”
The rule doesn’t apply in races where a judicial commission submits nominees to the governor for appointment.
Sorrell said the rule isn’t perfect, but it communicates the party’s desire.
Wahl agreed.
“We want to see Republicans appoint Republicans and we want to see the chance for those Republican appointments to be able to go to the voters and ask for the chance to continue serving in these areas,” Wahl said.
Givhan later told ADN he voted against it, as did 17 percent of members. The party can already ban people from running as Republicans if they haven’t acted like Republicans, he said.
“It’s not well defined and it could create problems,” Givhan said.
Qualifying set
Alabama Republicans running for office in 2026 will have a nearly three-week window, Jan. 5-23, to qualify with the state party. That date was set by resolution at the Saturday meeting.
Originally, an 11-day window was proposed, but some argued that was too short.
Qualifying dates for county level races are set at the local level, but often mirror the state dates.
The primary is May 19 and there are already some high-profile GOP contests, including Lt. Gov., Secretary of State and attorney general.
The party also approved resolutions:
- Commemorating next year’s semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence;
- Urging public officials to support crime victims “and enhance victim services where possible.”
- “…We call on Alabama’s Congressional delegation to consider the stabilization of the Crime Victims Fund, which was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.”
- In support of veterans, active-duty service members and military families;
- Supporting President Donald Trump be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.