‘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.”
At least three people dead from a tornado in North Dakota
At least three residents were killed in the Enderlin area by a tornado on Friday night after storms hit North Dakota and Minnesota.
One daughter’s search for a father detained by ICE
Francisco Urizar, 64, was detained by ICE while on his work route delivering tortillas. His daughter Nancy is trying to find out what happened to him.
Star bassist Carol Kaye rejects Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor
One of the most in-demand session players of the 1960s, Kaye was listed alongside the late record producer Thom Bell and the late pianist Nicky Hopkins as inductees in the Musical Excellence category.
Pilot who died in N.C. plane crash tried to avoid a turtle on airport runway
The pilot of a small plane that crashed near an airport tried to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. The pilot and a passenger were killed.
Day after day, Palestinians in Gaza risk harrowing journey in desperate search for food
Israel has begun allowing food into Gaza. Most of the supplies go to GHF, which operates food distribution points. A trickle of aid goes to the U.N. and humanitarian groups. Both systems are mired in chaos.
Photos: Why it took courage for these women to pose for the camera
Wearing traditional cosmetic face masks from their homeland of Madagascar, they agreed to be photographed to take a stand.