‘Better, Brighter, More Dynamic:’ With Numbers Showing Him Behind Incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, Walt Maddox Reaches out to Young Voters
By Sam Prickett
Walt Maddox kicked off the final week of his campaign for Alabama governor Monday night with a visit to Auburn University, where he spoke with students about issues pertaining to the state’s college-aged demographic.
“It’s a lot of fun being here with college students,” Maddox said after the event. “This election, unlike a lot of other elections, is going to impact them directly.”
He’d received the most feedback from younger voters, he said, about college scholarships. A central plank of Maddox’s campaign platform has been the creation of a statewide education lottery — from which he has pledged $125 million in annual funding to be allocated toward college scholarships and workforce readiness programs.
A large part of the discussion also focused on fighting voter apathy, “especially among younger voters, and especially college students,” Maddox said.
Currently, Maddox is polling well below Ivey with registered voters — which is no surprise for a Democratic candidate in a deeply Republican state. But most of his pitch to the students at Auburn reflected what he says his final week strategy is: to present himself as someone who can lead Alabama into the future — and to present Ivey as someone who will keep the state mired in the past.
“I really think the overarching theme was, we’ve been at the bottom or near the bottom in everything that matters,” Maddox said, referring to studies that have ranked Alabama as far below average in categories such as healthcare and education. “How do we come out of that?”
“Over the past year, we’ve made the case with our policies about why we believe we’re the best candidate,” he continued. “And just really, there’s a clear difference between the other candidate and myself … As we make this closing argument, we want everyone to keep the future in mind. Who is the best candidate to guide Alabama toward a brighter, better and more dynamic future? I believe we’re the best candidate.”
40 years after ‘Purple Rain,’ Prince’s band remembers how the movie came together
Before social media, the film Purple Rain gave audiences a peak into Prince’s musical life. Band members say the true genesis of the title song was much less combative than the version presented in the film.
Park Fire in California could continue growing exponentially, Cal Fire officer says
Cal Fire has confirmed that over a hundred structures have been damaged in the Park Fire, which grew overnight near Chico, Calif. Difficult firefighting conditions are forecast through Friday night.
Checking in with Black voters in Georgia about the election, now that Biden is out
Some voters who could be key to deciding who wins Georgia. What do they think about Vice President Harris becoming the frontrunner in the race to be the Democratic nominee?
Tahiti’s waves are a matter of ‘life and death’ for surfing Olympics
Tahiti's Teahupo'o wave has a slew of riders for the Paris 2024 Olympics. NPR finds out why it's called one of the most dangerous waves.
Researchers are revising botanical names to address troubling connotations
Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue.
A spectacular opening ceremony wowed a global audience despite Paris’ on-and-off rain
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony wowed Parisians, fans and most everyone who was able to catch a glimpse of thousands of athletes floating down the Seine to officially begin the Games.
