Ivey, Maddox to Face Off in November
Gov. Kay Ivey won Tuesday’s Republican primary with a significant lead over her three opponents, giving her a chance to be elected to the seat for the first time in November.
Ivey became governor last year when former Gov. Robert Bentley resigned amid an ethics scandal related to an alleged relationship with a top aide.
Ivey won with 56 percent of the vote. Her opponents were Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, State Sen. Bill Hightower and evangelist Scott Dawson.
Ivey, 73, had the strongest lead over her opponents in Jefferson, Baldwin, and Tuscaloosa counties. In her acceptance speech Tuesday night, Ivey said “liberals” wanted the governorship, but they weren’t going to get it.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, 45, will face Ivey in the November general election. He beat Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, with 55.3 percent of the vote to Cobb’s 28.7 percent. Maddox had by far the strongest support in Jefferson County, with a significant backing from voters in Tuscaloosa, Madison, and Dallas counties. Money played a big role in the gubernatorial races.
Attorney General Steve Marshall will enter a runoff with former Attorney General Troy King. The winner of the July 17 runoff will face Democrat Joseph Siegelman, son of former Gov. Don Siegelman.
For secretary of state, Republican incumbent John Merrill will face Heather Milam, a political newcomer. Both candidates handily beat their opponents in the primaries.
And replacing District 5 Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington will be former Vestavia Hills City Councilman Steve Ammons. Ammons defeated former Alabama state Rep. Jack Williams. Williams was indicted on conspiracy charges in April. There was no Democratic primary in that race.
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby will face former Rep. Bobby Bright in a runoff next month. Roby faced an uphill battle after remarks she made in 2016 calling on President Donald Trump, then a nominee, to resign. She made her statements after the infamous “Access Hollywood” tapes surfaced of the president making crude remarks about women. Bright represented the district from 2009 to 2011 as a Democratic congressman, but he’s since changed parties.
HBO’s new Billy Joel documentary is revelatory — even if it pulls some punches
The new two-part documentary, which premieres Friday on HBO, is a good example of the tension between access and objectivity that filmmakers face in making documentaries on celebrities.
A wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. It burned down once before
The Grand Canyon Lodge is the only hotel on the park's North Rim, which is closed for the rest of the season due to wildfire risk. The hotel was already rebuilt once, after a kitchen fire in 1932.
Why the Federal Reserve’s building renovations are attracting the White House’s ire
The Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation is attracting mounting criticism from the Trump administration, which had been already attacking the central bank for not cutting interest rates.
Supreme Court says Trump’s efforts to close the Education Department can continue
The Trump administration had appealed a decision that had directed it to stop gutting the U.S. Education Department and to reinstate many of the workers the government had laid off.
Trump tells supporters not to ‘waste time’ on Epstein files. They’re not happy
President Trump is facing backlash from his supporters and opponents alike for how his administration has handled the release of evidence surrounding the death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
24 states sue Trump admin to unfreeze more than $6 billion in education grants
The lawsuit comes two weeks after the Trump administration first notified states it was withholding previously approved funds for migrant education, before- and after- school programs and more.