Will Boyd has taken offense to people who have asked him to exit the Alabama governor’s race.
In a lengthy press release last week, Boyd defended his decision to remain in the race against former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, and he made it seem as though there was some sort of smoky-backroom-effort to shove him out of the race.
The release appeared to be mostly in response to things I said during a recent Alabama Politics This Week podcast episode, when I offered my opinion that Boyd would do himself a lot of good, and benefit the party as well, if he stepped aside from the governor’s race and instead entered another race where he could be more competitive.
Boyd and his supporters acted as if there was some nefarious intent or ulterior motive on my part. That I was unfairly trying to shove aside a viable candidate to make it easier for the establishment candidate (as if Democrats in Alabama have establishment candidates at this point).
The truth is I stated the reality for Will Boyd.
He isn’t going to beat Doug Jones—history, common sense and a month’s worth of fundraising and campaigning make that more than obvious. As such, he would better serve himself, the Alabama Democratic Party and the people of Alabama by entering a different race where he might stand a chance.
If you doubt that this is, in fact, the reality, here are a few facts: In seven months, Will Boyd has raised $45,466.
Jones exceeded that amount and the total number of Boyd’s individual donors in less than a week.
Now, you can bang your head against the wall and scream that those numbers aren’t fair because the mean ol’ media is being totally unfair to Boyd and is in the bag for Jones.
Or you can accept reality.
And that reality is this: Doug Jones, by virtue of his experience, hard work and various campaigns, has built a broad coalition of supporters across this state, and also built a broad base of volunteers who help him raise money and awareness. That’s why Jones has also out–performed the Democratic nominee for president in past elections.
He’s getting more media attention because he’s a more viable candidate. End of story.
This is not simple “name recognition.”
Tommy Tuberville is the name recognition candidate. He’s raising money and support from nothing more than name ID and the fact that he bullied other Republican challengers out of the race. That’s where his support is coming from.
Jones remains a decided underdog in this race. Everyone understands this, including those people lining up to put money into his campaign. They’re doing so because they believe in him and because he’s built that base of support.
Will Boyd has not.
After a decade of running for office, Boyd still isn’t outperforming the straight ticket Democratic vote. He barely got more votes than Yolanda Flowers in 2022, despite Flowers spending almost nothing on the race. That’s a problem. A problem that will have to be corrected the old fashioned way—by building a resume and a coalition.
What was offered to Boyd was an opportunity to do both. To join the ticket in another race, to become part of the team that Jones and others have built, a team that is working together to raise money, to build a wider volunteer base, to break the Republican stronghold on this state.
With Jones and Phillip Ensler and Ron Sparks drawing genuine support and attention, and pushing a large number of Alabamians to stop voting straight ticket for Republicans, they are creating a Democratic ticket, with the help and support of the Alabama Democratic Party (yes, for real), that has a chance to significantly alter the landscape of politics in this state. It could reshape the legislature, and more importantly, reshape the way so many Alabamians feel about voting for Democrats.
That’s important.
By remaining in the race, Boyd is hampering some of those efforts, because there are many Democratic-affiliated entities out there that will not offer financial support for candidates and campaigns during a contested primary. No matter how lopsided that primary might be.
Now, it’s certainly his right to remain in the race, and I never suggested otherwise, nor did I suggest that people should pressure him to exit. I simply said that I felt it would be in his best interest, the best interest of the voters and the best interest of the party if Boyd took the offer to be part of the team. To build his base of support for the future. To maybe win an office in which he could serve the people of Alabama. (It was suggested that Boyd should run for one of the Public Service Commission seats—a position in which he could affect real change and be a force for good while building a resume for higher office.)
Instead of sitting at the house come June after running yet another failed campaign for an office that he had no chance of winning.
That’s why I suggested he take a different approach this time around. Not because he’s a bad person or even a bad candidate. For the opposite reason. He’s a smart, likeable, relatable person, but he’s burning through opportunities.
There is an opportunity here, with the current national climate, to truly do something special in Alabama and maybe start to turn the tide in this state. Not to something crazy like a Democratic wave in Alabama. But to changing perceptions and giving voters more say so.
But that takes people working together, and it sometimes takes a little sacrifice now for a better future tomorrow.
It’s also necessary that people accept reality before they can change it.
