Republican candidates continue to enjoy large cash advantages in competitive state legislative races, though Democrats are making pushes in contests in Montgomery and Huntsville.
GOP nominees in 43 state House races with at least two candidates finished last week with a median of $69,471 in their war chests, according to reports filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Democrats in those races had a median of $8,083.
In 16 races with two or more candidates in the Alabama Senate, GOP candidates ended last week with a median of $233,245 in their campaign funds. Democrats finished with $32,616.
The Republican advantage includes incumbents enjoying the years-long osmosis of funding from powerful state groups and first-time candidates running in open seats. Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, in north Shelby County outside Birmingham, finished with nearly $310,000 on hand. His Democratic opponent, Prince Cleveland, finished with $10,820.
Brock Colvin, a financial planner running for an open seat in Marshall County, finished last week with $52,101 on hand. His Democratic opponent, Ben Alford, finished with $5,450.
But there are competitive races.
House District 74 in Montgomery, stretching over the central part of the city, is considered the Democrats’ best chance at a pick-up in November. Democratic nominee Phillip Ensler, an attorney, raised $26,312 and spent $54,842, finishing with $42,504. Republican incumbent Charlotte Meadows raised $13,590 and spent $17,073. She finished with $87,083.
Both candidates said in separate interviews Wednesday that they were working their district hard. Ensler said he is stressing his civil rights work and his ties to the community, including a stint as a teacher at Lee High School.
“The basic thing, going door to door, is that we care and we’re not taking votes for granted,” he said. “We’re talking about the things that matter most to them, sending mail pieces, airing TV ads and attending community neighborhood meetings.”
Meadows said she is emphasizing her experience in the district and her work on education issues and thinks a year widely expected to be good for Republicans could help her.
“We’ve got a lot of positives on our side, but we’re still in a tough race,” she said.
Reshaped House District 74 is Montgomery’s only contested seat; Meadows, Ensler is here for it
Madison County, the home of Huntsville, has been trending toward Democrats for the last several years and could be promising for the party. Republican incumbents are certainly acting like it.
Sens. Tom Butler, R-Madison and Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, both seeking re-election, have spent ferociously over the fall. Butler last week spent $102,391 in his race against Democratic nominee Kim Caudle Lewis, a businesswoman. Butler spent $25,442 on the race in September. Lewis spent $19,633 on the race last week. Butler finished with $134,843 on hand; Lewis finished with $31,356.
Givhan spent $46,472 in his race against Democratic nominee Korey Wilson, who reported spending $188 last week. Givhan finished with $425,035 on hand; Wilson finished with $659. In September, Givhan spent $107,005 to Wilson’s $1,925.
Butler and Givhan both won open Senate seats in 2018 but had to vigorously shake their wallets over the districts to get less-than-ideal results. Butler outspent Democratic nominee Amy Wasyluka nearly 8-to-1 ($175,923 to $22,524) in the last two months of the campaign but got 54% of the vote. Givhan outspent Democratic nominee Deborah Barros 45-to-1 ($74,116 to $1,661) and got 55% of the vote. Senate Republicans in competitive races that year got an average of 62% of the vote.
Two open House seats in Madison County are also pulling cash in like a magnet. In House District 10, Democratic nominee Marilyn Lands spent $27,303 last week, finishing with $34,038 on hand. Republican nominee David Cole spent $19,268 and finished with $86,963. In House District 25, Democratic nominee Mallory Hagan spent $44,959 and finished with $24,672. Republican nominee Phillip Rigsby spent $17,503 and finished with $46,093.
The figures include 23 House races and 10 Senate contests with Libertarian candidates. No Libertarian House candidate reported financial activity last week.
Only three Libertarian Senate candidates, all in strongly Democratic districts, reported raising and spending money in the second week of October. In Senate District 19 in western Jefferson County, Libertarian Senate nominee James Wilson spent $256 and finished with $12. Democratic nominee Merika Coleman finished September with $49,475 on hand.
Portia Shepherd, running for the open seat in District 23, centered around Selma, raised $1,000 and spent $428, finishing with $6,701 on hand. Democratic nominee Robert Stewart, who finished the week with $38,551 on hand, raised $6,000 and spent $5,655.
In Senate District 28, taking in most of the eastern Black Belt, Libertarian David Boatwright spent $865 and had $672. Incumbent Sen. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton, spent $300 last week but has more than $174,000 on hand.
Brian Lyman covers politics and state government for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at 334-240-0185 orblyman@gannett.com.
