The Alabama Farmers Federation is endorsing April Weaver for Alabama Senate District 14, which includes portions of Bibb, Chilton and Shelby counties.

Bibb County Farmers Federation President Ashton Cottingham said: “April Weaver is a proven leader with all the qualifications and experience to represent our best interests in Montgomery. We support her wholeheartedly.”

Chilton County Farmers Federation President Lynn Harrison said: “April is a public servant who knows how to get things done in Montgomery. She will work hard for the people of this district to make sure all of our needs are represented in the Legislature.”

Shelby County Farmers Federation President John DeLoach said: “April has a proven track record of excellent public service. She is a true conservative who will work hard for us and represent our district well in Montgomery.”

A lifelong resident of District 14, Weaver is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration. She has worked for more than 23 years in hospital management in various roles. Most recently she served as Regional IV Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

When serving in the House of Representatives, she was the first woman to serve as chairman of the House Health Committee.

“I am honored to have the support of the Alabama Farmers Federation,” said Weaver. “I know the importance that agriculture plays in our state, and I look forward to working with Alabama farmers and all the people of District 14 to make it a better place to work and live.”

The Alabama Farmers Federation is the state’s largest farm organization with more than 350,000 members. It uses a grassroots approach to select candidates, relying on FarmPAC endorsements from county Federation boards for local elections. 

Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, in a statement to APR on Monday called out some of her Republican colleagues, specifically Congressmen Mo Brooks and Barry Moore, for what she described as their “irresponsible and inflammatory remarks” regarding the election outcome and statements made surrounding the deadly attack of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. 

Rep. Barry Moore, R-Alabama, on Sunday had his personal Twitter account suspended, and then he deleted his account, after two tweets he made regarding the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol drew criticism. 

“Wow we have more arrests for stealing a podium on January 6th than we do for stealing an election on November 3rd. Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Detroit, would be places I recommend you start; there is video evidence of these crimes as well! #ElectionIntegrityMatters,” Moore tweeted on Saturday. 

Before his account was suspended and deleted, Moore also tweeted in reference to the death of Ashli Babbit, 35, who was shot by a Capitol Police officer when she tried to crawl through a broken window inside the Capitol during the siege.

“@mtgreenee @NARAL I understand it was a black officer that shot the white female veteran . You know that doesn’t fit the narrative,” Moore tweeted Saturday. The tweet has since been deleted, but it has been archived by Pro Publica’s Politwoops project.

At least five people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, have been killed related to the siege. Another Capitol Hill police officer, Howard Liebengood, who responded to the attack, died Saturday off duty, marking the second Capitol Police officer death since Wednesday. Police did not release his cause of death.

“Since Wednesday’s violent assault at the U.S. Capitol, I have been repeatedly asked my thoughts about the actions and comments of my Alabama colleagues, especially Rep. Mo Brooks and now Rep. Barry Moore,” Sewell said in a statement to APR on Monday. “While the Alabama congressional delegation has had a history of civility, if not congeniality, irrespective of political party, I cannot let the irresponsible and inflammatory remarks of some of my colleagues go unanswered.”

She went on to say:

“It’s not okay for elected officials to continue to peddle lies and conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud and an allegedly-stolen presidential election.  President-Elect Biden won the election. There are simply no credible allegations of fraud, and upwards of 60 cases filed alleging problems with the election have been heard and dismissed by the courts. There are Trump appointed U.S. Attorneys throughout the country who were authorized by former Attorney General Bill Barr to investigate and prosecute allegations of fraud. Not one case has been filed by any of these Trump appointees.

“It is not okay for my congressional colleagues to use their public platform to incite Americans to overturn our election, storm the U.S. Capitol or assault our democracy. It’s called an insurrection and such seditious behavior must have consequences.  

“It’s not okay to use racial overtones to further spread deceptive narratives that perpetuate the lie that caused last week’s violent events. 

“Such lawmakers must be held accountable. Their words and actions do matter and their complicity in inciting the vicious attack on our democracy must not go unchecked. I am deeply and personally offended by the outrageous comments and every Alabamian that believes in our democracy should be, too.”

Sewell was forced to shelter inside the Capitol after Trump supporters stormed the building, prompting the evacuation of some and a barricading of others as police tried to get control of an out-of-control siege.

Moore didn’t answer APR‘s questions Sunday about those tweets directly, but his chief of staff sent APR a statement from Moore on Sunday afternoon. 

“Lawlessness is not the answer to our nation’s problems, and every person who acts unlawfully is responsible for their own actions and should be held accountable to the full extent of the law, whether that’s Black Lives Matter, Antifa or Wednesday’s rioters,” Moore said in the statement. 

Brooks was an early supporter of challenging the certification of election results, an action that pleased President Donald Trump and his allies seeking to overturn the election, and spoke to the crowd gathered near the Capitol before the attack. 

“Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,” Brooks yelled into his microphone. After the riots began, Brooks tweeted an unfounded rumor alleging it was antifa who started the rioting.

The day after the attack, Brooks told an Alabama conservative talk radio host that he had no regrets over his speech prior to the violence, according to The Intercept, telling the host that there was “mounting evidence of fascist antifa’s involvement in all of this.” 

The Federal Bureau of Investigations said on Friday that there was no evidence of antifa aiding pro-Trump supporters in the deadly attack. 

The Alabama Republican Party announced qualifying dates for the special election in Alabama House District 73. Information on the qualifying process is available on the ALGOP website.

Qualifying will open online Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. CT. It will close on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, at 5 p.m. People interested in qualifying should contact ALGOP Executive Director Reed Phillips.

Anyone who needs to qualify in-person may do so at Alabama Republican Party headquarters in Hoover. The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, excluding federal holidays.

The vacancy in House District 73 occurred following the election of Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo, to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. House District 73 is located in Shelby County.

The Special Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, if more than one candidate qualifies. If no candidate gets a 50 percent plus one majority in the primary, a primary runoff election will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

The special general election will be held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

Helena Councilwoman Leigh Hulsey has already announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination in HD73.

Helena Councilwoman Leigh Hulsey on Tuesday announced that she is running as a Republican for the Alabama House of Representatives District 73 in Shelby County in the special election set by Gov. Kay Ivey.

Hulsey currently serves as president pro tempore for the City Council in Helena. She has served on the Helena City Council since 2008. Hulsey also serves as the council liaison for the Helena Parks and Recreation and Police departments. In addition to her experience on the Helena City Council, Hulsey is the owner at CrossFit Alabaster.

“I will use my conservative, pro-business values to bring about real change to our state and District 73,” Hulsey said.

If elected, Hulsey would represent Alabaster, Helena, Montevallo and Pelham. The special primary election for District 73 will be Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

House District 73 became vacant when Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo, was sworn in on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.