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Elections 2010
Who's Running, and what do I care?
You may not realize it, but some of our next legislative elections will be decided in just a few months. Primary elections are held in June, in which candidates will run against members of their own political party. Voter turn-out in a Primary Election is usually much lower than in the General Election, and voters must choose either a Republican ticket or a Democratic ticket. Why is this important now? That's easy - because candidates will begin fundraising, organizing their campaigns and will start paying visits to politically influential people and organizations. As an association of public educators, you have the potential to be the most powerful voting bloc in our area. Therefore, we need to be mindful that these races will materialize far in advance of the actual election. Let me give you a couple of real-life examples as to how important these races are.In Senate District 21, Senator Phil Poole is being challenged by House Representative Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale). Senator Poole's voting record with public education is scored very highly, while Rep. Allen's voting record on issues important to those of us in public education hasn't been quite as good. This race is very important, not only because of Tuscaloosa's need for a strong Senator, but because of certain Committee appointments. Senator Poole is currently the Vice-Chair of the Finance and Taxation - Education Committee. Senator Hank Sanders, of Selma, (who just recently announced his retirement from the Alabama Senate) is the Chairperson of this committee. The F&T Education Committee prepares the Education Trust Fund budget. Also, legislation that is helpful to our public school finances can be advanced by this committee, and likewise, legislation that is hurtful to our school finances (tax cuts without replacement revenues) can be stopped by this committee. Due to the size of the Education Trust Fund budget, and the importance of this committee, the chairperson is consequently in a very poweful position. While there is no guarantee on who gets the seat as Chair, Senator Poole would be the ranking member of this committee upon the retirement of Sen. Sanders. In other words, should Rep. Allen defeat Senator Poole in this election, it is highly unlikely that a freshman (first-year) Senator would be given any such position - and thus, Tuscaloosa would lose a highly important seat to a legislator from some other part of the State. What am I trying to say with all this? I'm hoping to pass along the simple fact that there are many issues that go into a decision for whom we vote. If you agree with a candidate's position on some conservative or liberal issue, great!...but what can they do for your community? Can they advance our needs in public education, or be effective in maneuvering difficult legislation? Can they kill a bill when it needs to die?
Additionally, in Rep. Allen's open seat for the House of Representatives, County School Board member Brett Whitehead is currently organizing his campaign. He will have opposition from County Schools Public Relations Director, and fellow-Republican, John Merrill. Because of the political demographics of this district, this election will most likely be decided in the Republican Primary. How will these two men stand on issues important to us....issues like school funding, teacher tenure, teacher ethics, AEA? Republicans, in general, will face strong influences from state Republican leaders like Bob Riley and Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn). These influences will try to control their votes and will be highly opposed to initiatives from AEA. How will these two men face these influences? One candidate who has already announced has actually bragged on his support from Riley/Hubbard. What does this mean to you as a member of AEA, when you hear that Riley/Hubbard want to weaken AEA's influence in the legislature, or even remove many of your rights under the Tenure Act?
In other words, if we as AEA members simply sit aside and let these races materialize without us, it will be too late for us to effectively influence the slate of candidates. Who's running in your area?
