Democrats hoped to make inroads in Republican-dominated Alabama during Tuesday’s midterm election. They were riding high after electing Doug Jones to the Senate in a special election in December. That enthusiasm did not translate to victory as Republicans maintained all statewide offices and all contested congressional seats. We take a look at the election results for Democrats with Auburn University political science professor Ryan Williamson.
Why Democrats didn’t have a better showing against Republicans:
“Alabama’s a deeply red state and polarization is at such a level that voters aren’t generally going to cross the aisle to support Democratic candidates. The best you can really hope for is that enough Republican voters stay home to shift the election and that simply didn’t happen.”
Alabama Supreme Court chief justice candidate Democrat Bob Vance’s loss to associate justice Republican Tom Parker:
“The idea that this is the best shot [for a Democratic victory] was based on the endorsement of six former Supreme Court justices. He presented himself as a restrained jurist who would decide based on law and not ideology. But at the end of the day voters were still hesitant to offer their support for a Democrat and the connection of Tom Parker to Roy Moore just wasn’t enough bridge that gap.”
What Democrats can do to succeed electorally:
“I think it’s important to continue fielding good, viable candidates because upsets can happen. Much like what happened in the Senate special election last year and in races like Oklahoma’s 5th [congressional district] and Georgia’s 7th [congressional district] last night. It is especially important for the races at the top of the ballot because even if they don’t win, they can propel down-ballot candidates forward.”
News from WBHM will never be behind a paywall. Ever. We need your help to keep our coverage free for everyone. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. You can support our journalism for as little as $5. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.
Single-mother households represent about 60% of all Birmingham households with children, according to Mayor Randall Woodfin's office. The mothers involved in the program will receive $375 a month for a year.
Birmingham leaders officially opened the city's Real Time Crime Center Tuesday, a project intended to give the Birmingham Police Department new technological tools to help resolve crime more quickly.
The face of homeschooling is changing and diversifying. In just a year, the number of Black families has increased five-fold— and for more reasons than COVID-19. Several families told WBHM they see homeschooling as a way to protect their children from educational racism.
Wages have gone up as restaurants try to hold onto their staff amid a record number of people quitting their jobs in the U.S., especially in the South.
Christina Nance had been missing since Sept. 25, her family says. Video footage from that day shows her entering the van, which was in a police parking lot. Her body was found 12 days later.
At the October meeting, the Alabama state board of education cemented its ban on critical race theory into policy. But, attendants of the meeting reacted in disapproval.
