Ivey Wins: Alabama Gubernatorial Race Wrap-Up
Gov. Kay Ivey takes the official title as the first Republican female governor of Alabama after winning Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Ivey, 74, rose to the position after former Governor Robert Bentley’s alleged affair with an aide and ethics violations. She defeated Democratic challenger and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox with 61 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results. At a campaign party in Montgomery Tuesday night, Ivey thanked her supporters for their votes and took a swipe at critics who claim she’s covering up major health issues.
“The odds were against me. Some said I would never make it across the finish line, while others claimed I was on my last breath,” Ivey said. “Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Not only did I finish, we finished very strong. And I am just now getting started.”
On the campaign trail, questions arose about whether Ivey’s refusal to debate Maddox would affect her race. But Ivey fully expected to be elected to a full term as governor. Ivey told the crowd she was the first lieutenant governor to take over the governor’s office and then be elected to a full term.
Meanwhile in Tuscaloosa, the mood at Maddox’s camp remained optimistic and positive, but turned once the Associated Press called the race for Ivey. After conceding, Maddox congratulated Ivey and asked his supporters to support the governor.
Reporters Alexander Richey and Troy Public Radio’s Kyle Gassiott contributed reporting.
As Israel recovers the bodies of three more hostages, how many are still in Gaza?
Israel said Sunday that it has recovered the bodies of three more hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that ignited the ongoing 20-month war in the Gaza Strip.
Iran’s top officials condemn U.S. strikes and assert their right to self-defense
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the American operation an "outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation" of the United Nations Charter and international law.
FedEx founder Fred Smith, who revolutionized package delivery, dies at 80
Smith once said he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured.
In this rural Colorado valley, cuts to Medicaid would have vast ripple effects
Cuts to Medicaid moving through Congress would shake up health care in the scenic San Luis Valley — with negative downstream effects on local jobs, businesses and education.
What separates the ultrarich from the just-plain-rich? The gigayacht.
A new collection of essays by New Yorker writer Evan Osnos, The Haves and Have-Yachts, provides rich research and material for the conversation about extreme wealth in America today.
LA Dodgers pledge $1 million in support of immigrants amid ICE raids
The pledge comes amid ongoing federal immigration raids targeting migrants in the area, and calls from the Dodgers' fanbase for the organization to speak out against them.