Caroleene Dobson to run for Alabama secretary of state
Republican Caroleene Dobson, speaks with reporters after voting in Montgomery, Ala., on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Montgomery attorney Caroleene Dobson, a Republican who ran for Congress last year, announced Thursday she is running for secretary of state in 2026.
The secretary of state serves as Alabama’s chief elections official. The office also maintains business records and government records for the state.
Dobson said her priorities if elected include election security, reducing fees and getting legislation passed that will enable statewide post-election audits.
“As secretary of state, I will reduce fees on Alabama businesses, streamline services for the public, and I will never back down from the liberal activist groups who want to undermine the security of our elections,” Dobson said in a statement.
The office of secretary of state will be open in 2026. Current Secretary of State Wes Allen is running for lieutenant governor in 2026.
State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, also a Republican, is also running for secretary of state. Sorrell is a former member of the Alabama Legislature.
Dobson, a graduate of Harvard College and Baylor University School of Law, is a shareholder in Maynard Nexsen law firm. She specializes in natural resources, commercial finance and real estate law.
In 2024, Dobson ran for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District but lost to Democrat Shomari Figures. A federal court redrew the south Alabama district after ruling that Alabama had purposely diluted the influence of Black voters — who make up 27% of the state’s population.
Dobson said as secretary state that she wants to replicate the Florida Election Crimes and Division, an enforcement unit dedicated to investigating voter fraud and other election crimes.
“On the national level, I will advocate for President Trump’s commonsense election reforms,” Dobson said. “I will also leverage my legal experience to fight back against out-of-state activists who are constantly attempting to use the courts to undermine our election security measures.”
Waymo will recall software after its self-driving cars passed stopped school buses
Waymo is issuing a software recall for its self-driving cars after reports the company's autonomous vehicles failed to stop for school buses.
7 deaths and hundreds of injuries are linked to faulty Abbott glucose monitors
About 3 million glucose monitoring sensors were potentially affected by a production error that caused incorrect low glucose readings.
‘The Abandons’ is a sudsy soap opera dressed up in spurs and a cowboy hat
On the surface it's a gorgeous, hardscrabble Western, awash in stark landscapes, grubby faces, bar fights and banditry. But scratch away the grime, and you expose the pure, glitzy soap opera beneath.
Sudanese paramilitary drone attack kills 50, including 33 children, doctor group says
Thursday's attack is the latest in the fighting between the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, also known as the RSF, and the Sudanese military, who have been at war for over two years.
Russia unleashes drone and missile attack on Ukraine as diplomatic talks continue
Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they'll meet on Saturday for talks aimed at ending the war.
Takeaways from the latest special election and what it means for control of the House
There was yet another sign this week of a potential 2026 wave that could hand control of the House of Representatives to Democrats.
