The 2022 midterm elections are swiftly approaching, with Alabama Republicans maintaining a decisive advantage over Democratic and Libertarian candidates in fundraising, spending, and remaining campaign funds, according to the latest campaign finance reports from August.
In the Alabama governor’s race, incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey holds a strong advantage in available funds over Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers. According to records obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State’s website, Ivey has $50,583.16 available cash-on-hand to Flowers’ $1,051.77, with the incumbent Republican governor raising a total of $132,314.30 in the month of August. Flowers, in that same period, raised only $1,300.
Historically, Ivey raised considerably more money when she faced Democratic nominee and mayor of Tuscaloosa Walt Maddox in the 2018 state gubernatorial race. In August 2018, Ivey had $337,963.82 in available funding and raised just over $400,000 in the same period.
The statewide candidate who has the most funds available in his re-election is incumbent Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who has $1,277,815.12 in available cash on hand, according to the Alabama Secretary of State’s website. Financial reports for Ainsworth’s opponent, Libertarian candidate Ruth Page-Nelson, have yet to be released as of Wednesday.
The Alabama Secretary of State’s race between state Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, and Pamela J. Laffitte shows Allen with $35,087.34 in available funding to Laffitte’s $2,604.74. In the same period, Allen raised $12,005.00 in cash contributions, with Laffitte receiving $3,862.67 alongside $10,000.00 in in-kind contributions. Financial reports from Libertarian candidate Jason Shelby’s campaign have yet to be released as of Wednesday.
In a few competitive state-level districts, Democrats have come close to matching fundraising and cash-on-hand and, in at least one case, have passed their Republican counterparts in those levels of fundraising and available campaign funds.
In the Alabama state House District 25 race, Democratic nominee Mallory Hagen currently has $43,951.81 in available campaign funds, according to the latest financial reports from August, and raised $30,359.78 in itemized cash contributions for the same period. Republican nominee Phillip Rigsby in the same period raised only $10,435.00 in itemized cash contributions and has $26,556.55 in available funding.
The pair are vying for the House seat left open by out-going Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, who announced last summer that he would not seek re-election to the Alabama house.
The midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 8.
