Is the Democratic Party Dead in Alabama?
Republicans still hold every state-wide office in Alabama after yesterday’s election results. The majority of democratic candidates in Alabama were defeated across the board last night, some losing by major margins. So, when will democrats be relevant again in Alabama?
After the governor’s race was called 11 minutes after the polls closed, democrats knew it would be a long night for them. Sure enough, no democrat won a state-wide election Tuesday night and some are questioning whether the blue party can once again find success in Alabama.
The former democratic candidate for governor, Parker Griffith, had not even arrived yet at his election results party when the gubernatorial race was called. He tells us he’s not surprised that he lost, saying right now in Alabama, democrats are unpopular.
“At one time, we were the dominant party,” he says. “It wasn’t necessarily always an uphill climb.”
But democrats are no longer the dominant party in Alabama. In fact, no democrat holds any state-wide office. Political Analyst Steve Flowers says the party is dead and has little chance of becoming relevant anytime soon.
“This last recurrence yesterday even draws a deeper nail in the coffin because it makes it hard for someone to want to run as a democrat statewide, the perception is you can’t win.”
Griffith’s supporters say it’s frustrating to be a democrat in such a red state.
“People are uninformed and they don’t understand how the democrats want to help them and it’s hurting the people,” says Frank Scaduto.
“You go through these switches,” says Walt Hennessee. “There was a time when the republicans, back in the 70s, the republicans were on the endangered species list.”
But now it appears that democrats are an endangered species in Alabama. But despite that, Griffith remains optimistic about his party’s future.
“That’s why we call these election cycles, the democrats will cycle back up,” he says. “This is the beginning of the end of the republican party. “
Griffith tells us he believes Governor Robert Bentley will now work more closely with democrats because he doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected. Griffith tells us he even predicts Bentley may expand medicaid after saying he would not.
