Everett Wess reflects on failed U.S. Senate bid
The Democrat said he has no regrets and that he would "absolutely" consider running for public office again in the future.
Last week's midterm elections were marked by Democratic upsets in Republican strongholds across the country, including historic flips of several U.S. Senate seats in deep-red states like Kansas, South Carolina and Texas.
However, this "blue wave" did not prevent the GOP from maintaining control of Alabama's Senate delegation, as U.S. Representative Barry Moore beat out Democratic nominee Everett Wess to win the seat vacated by now-governor-elect Tommy Tuberville.
Despite the outcome, Wess told APR that he is "proud of the campaign we ran" and does not have any regrets about how he approached the race.
"I thoroughly enjoyed traveling throughout Alabama and meeting so many wonderful citizens from every corner of our state," Wess said in a written statement provided to APR. "We built a strong grassroots organization supported by dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly across Alabama. I am extremely grateful for their commitment and support."
While Moore ultimately won the race, Wess did secure an impressive amount of support in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 2017. Wess won over 750,000 votes (45.2 percent of the total ballots cast), a significant improvement from 2022 when Democratic nominee Will Boyd won only around 430,000 votes (30.9 percent), losing by a large margin to now-U.S. Senator Katie Britt.
"Receiving approximately 750,000 votes was a tremendous showing, and I am proud of what we accomplished together," Wess told APR. "Moving forward, I believe there is an opportunity to strengthen our outreach, particularly in Alabama's smaller counties, to ensure our message reaches even more voters."
Wess said that if he could change one thing about his campaign in retrospect, he would have secured a greater war chest to even the playing field between himself and Moore (Wess raised just under $130,000 compared to Moore's $3.7 million).
"I believe our overall campaign strategy was strong and that we had a dedicated team working toward a common goal," Wess said. "If I could change one thing, it would be to secure additional funding and donations. Greater financial resources would have allowed us to expand our outreach, increase our visibility, and communicate our message to more voters throughout Alabama."
Wess told APR that he would "absolutely" consider running for elected office again in the future.
"I had a wonderful experience running for the United States Senate and meeting people throughout our great state," Wess said. "I believe having qualified, dedicated candidates willing to step forward and serve is essential to making our democratic process work. I would certainly consider running for elected office again if the right opportunity presented itself."
