Greene County Democrat

Tag: Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA)

  • ANSA endorses: Harris-Walz, Terri Sewell, Shomari Figures, Greg Griffin, and Tanya Chestnut for statewide offices in November election

    PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 6: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage together during a campaign event at Girard College on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be, selecting the 60 year old midwestern governor over other candidates. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

     

    The Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) held its Fall Convention at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Delegates from ANSC county chapters met to consider the candidates and issues in the upcoming November election.

    For endorsements, the ANSC recessed its meeting and went into session as the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) the ‘sister” or parallel organization that deals with partisan political choices.

    The ANSA endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice- President of the United States; Terri Sewell for Alabama 7th Congressional District; Shomari Figures for Alabama 2nd. Congressional District; Greg Griffin for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; Tanya Chestnut for Alabama State School Board, District 5; and Collins Petttaway for District 4 Circuit Judge, which overlaps several districts. All are Democratic candidates. Local county chapters will endorse for more local election contests.

    Several of the candidates endorsed by ANSA appeared at the meeting and made statements and answered voter questions. Shomari Figures, the Democratic candidate for the newly redistricted 2nd Congressional District was present. His new district stretches across the state from Russell, Bullock, Macon and Barber counties on the east to Washington and Mobile counties on the western side of Alabama. The new boundaries of the 2nd CD were decided in litigation which went to the U. S. Supreme Court, three times in the last five years.

    Shomari Figures, who is the son of Michael Figures (a founder of ANSC) and Vivian Figures (both Alabama State Senators) said, “ We cannot let this election slip. Even though I have been outspent on TV by 9 to 1, we must win this race, to show if given a chance that Black people will rise to the occasion and utilize the district that the courts created.”

    Figures said that his attention would be focused on healthcare in the district and the expansion of Medicaid coverage, under the Affordable Care Act, to those without insurance coverage. He said, “Four hospitals serving my district have closed or reduced services due to declining patient revenues. Bullock County Hospital and Grove Hill Hospital have changed to only Emergency Health Centers, Monroe County has ended maternal care and other services, and Thomasville has suspended operations. There is a real crisis in rural health care in my district, that actually could be alleviated if the Republican Governor and Legislative leaders agreed to Medicaid expansion.”

    The ANSA also endorsed Congresswoman Terri Sewell, incumbent seven term Congresswoman representing the 7th Congressional District, which includes Greene County. ANSA also endorsed Tanya Chestnut for the District 5 Alabama State School Board, which includes Sumter and other Black Belt counties

    Montgomery Circuit Judge, Greg Griffin, said he felt that Black people need to serve on the appellate courts of our state, which is why he is running for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary but now is running statewide against the right-wing Republican incumbent, Tom Parker.

    The ANSC meeting also had a panel explaining the problems which will arise from Project 2025, the 925-page comprehensive plan of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, for implementation if Donald Trump is elected President for a second term. The panel spoke to the implications of Project 2025 to devastate the Federal workforce, abolish the Department of Education and its programs for low-income students, including reduced cost meals, HeadStart and Title 1 funding. Project 2025 is a plan to revive the Comstock Act which will place a national ban on abortion, curtail birth control and limit IVF treatments.

    Donald Trump has tried to disassociate himself from Project 2025, but 140 former staff members worked on its detailed implementation guideline. Other former Trump staffers are collecting resumes of loyal Trump workers to be used to replace fired civil service employees, to run the government within the new guidelines.

    Congressman Troy Carter traveled from New Orleans, Louisiana to be the ANSC luncheon speaker. Carter praised ANSC for its history of civic participation and involving Black voters in the electoral process. Of Shomari Figures, he said, “You can’t hope him in or pray him in, but you must vote him and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz into office.”

  • EDITORIAL

    Hope vs Hate – Democracy vs. Autocracy

    The Publishers of the Greene County Democrat are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President of the United States in the November 5th election, coming next Tuesday. We are putting our editorial above the fold on page 1 because of the importance of this election to the future of our nation.

    We have a simple choice between the hope that Kamala Harris offers us in looking forward in a progressive way, with numerous plans and programs to aid ordinary American citizens. And the dark future of hate and division that Donald Trump offers.

    It is a choice between up-holding the basic principles of democracy and freedom, like reproductive freedom for all women, or Trump’s autocratic view of “dictatorship on day one” to lead us to mass deportation of our immigrant neighbors, a national sales tax in the form of tariffs on all foreign goods, and continuing tax breaks for the rich and corporations that do not need them, and should be paying their fair share to make our economy more equitable.

    We urge you to follow the recommendation of the Alabama New South Alliance to vote a straight Democratic ticket and support the candidates that are pledged to support your interests from the top to the bottom of the ballot.

    We need every voter in Greene County, across the Black Belt, in the State of Alabama and in the U. S. to turn out and vote.
    No excuses for staying home, protest voting for third party candidates, who are inconsequential, or forgetting your basic role and power in our democracy.

    Thank- you to those who voted early, and for the rest of us, get up, get out and vote next Tuesday, as if your life depends on it because it does!

  • Alabama New South Alliance makes local endorsements

    Last Saturday and Sunday, members of the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) the sister organization to the Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) met to screen candidates for local offices in Greene County. ANSC develops a slate of candidates that the feel would do the best job and be accountable to the people of Greene County.

    All local candidates, in contested races, were invited by letter to the screening, which was held in the Renaissance Theater, since the Greene County Commission did not grant permission to hold a “political meeting” at the Eutaw Activity Center. Commissioner Corey Cockrell has requested that the County Attorney seek a State Attorney General’s opinion on whether a political meeting can be held on county owned property.

    It is a general rule of ANSA that candidates who do not attend the screening are not likely to be endorsed. District Judge Lillie Osborne presided over the screening process. Each candidate was given three minutes to introduce themselves and explain why they are they are the best person for the position. A ten-minute period for questions from the membership followed. Candidates for the same position were generally asked the same questions by the membership.

    For Commissioner for District 1, Garria Spencer was endorsed. Shelia R. Daniels, his opponent did not attend the screening.

    For District 4, incumbent Commission Chair, Allen Turner Jr. was endorsed. Neither of his opponents, Christopher Armstead or Malcolm Merriweather attended the screening.

    In District 5, for Commissioner, Marvin Childs was endorsed. Anikia Coleman Jones attended, however, incumbent commissioner Roshanda Summerville and Sharlene French did not attend.

    Incumbent Commissioners Tennyson Smith and District 2 and Corey Cockrell in District 3 are running unopposed and were not screened.

    For School Board District 1, incumbent School Board Chair Carol P. Zippert was endorsed. Robert Davis Jr. attended the screening, her other opponent Fentress ‘Duke’ Means did not.

    For Board of Education, District 2, incumbent Kashaya Cockrell was endorsed, neither of her two opponents, Brandon R. Merriweather or Tameka King attended the screening, although Merriweather called and said he had to attend some employment related training out of town.

    For Sheriff of Greene County, Jimmie Benison and Beverly Spencer attended the screening. Incumbent Sheriff Jonathan ‘Joe’ Benison and challenger Hank McWhorter chose not to attend the screening. Both candidates, who came to the screening, were questioned in depth about their positions on law enforcement and the operation of electronic bingo. Beverly Spencer received the ANSA endorsement.

    “We had an open, democratic and transparent screening process, over six hours on two weekend afternoons. All of the candidates, including myself, were questioned in detail on their thoughts, policies and programs. Now we need to go to work registering, educating and turning the people out to vote,” said District Judge Lillie Jones Osborne, Chairperson of the local ANSC/ANSA Screening Committee.

  • Alabama New South Alliance endorses Biden for President, Billie Jean Young for State School Board (District 5) and many others

    Ivan Peebles a Greene County High School student and ANSC Board Member gives greetings at ANSC Luncheon. Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, keynote speaker and Everett West of Birmingham, ANSC Vice President sit at front table.
    Billie Jean Young, Candidate for State School Board District 5, speaks at ANSA screening on Saturday.

    The ANSA delegates heard from four candidates running for the District 5 State School Board position, which represents 15 counties across the south central part of the state.
    Candidates Billie Jean Young, Tanya Smith Chestnut, Joanne Shun and Woodie Pugh addressed the group and answered questions about closing the school achievement gap for Black children, infusing Black history into the school curriculum and increasing resources for public education. Billie Jean Young received the endorsement.
    Laura Casey, a Montgomery attorney was endorsed for Chair of the Alabama Public Service Commission over Robert Martin. In her screening, she exhibited a firm grasp of the problem of wresting control of energy policy and pricing from the utility companies, which is the role of the Public Service Commission.
    The ANSA also had a spirited screening of candidates for U. S. Congress from around the state and endorsed: District 1 – James Averhart, District 2 – Nathan Mathis, District 3 – Adia Winfrey, District 4 – Rick Neighbors, District 7 – Terri Sewell.
    The ANSA also endorsed incumbent Doug Jones for U. S. Senate, although he is not opposed and will not appear on the March 3 primary ballot.
    ANSA also urged a ‘No’ vote on Statewide Amendment No. 1 which provides for appointment of the State School Board by the Governor in place of the current system of election by districts.
    ANSA chapters around the state will have screenings for county and local candidates over the next two weeks and submit these recommendations to the state office to be included on sample ballots together with the endorsed statewide candidates, to be distributed at the polls for the March 3 primary election.
    The Greene County ANSA membership will hold screenings for local candidates running for Revenue Commissioner and School Board seats in Districts 3, 4 and 5, on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 4:00 PM at the Eutaw Activity Center.
    After the ANSA endorsement screenings, the group reconvened for a luncheon as the Alabama New South Coalition. The group heard a greeting from Ivan Peeples, a Greene County high school senior and ANSC youth 2nd Vice-President. There were also remarks from William Scott of the U. S. Census Bureau on the importance of a full count for the 2020 Census, which will be held on April 1, 2020.
    Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham was the keynote luncheon speaker, who spoke on the importance of voting in the 2020n elections. He said, “We expect there will be disagreements in the March primary but we must come together and vote together in the November 3 General Election, to change the direction of this country.”
    Woodfin stressed, “ The Democratic Party is the party of hope for people. The other side embraces fear and supports disunity. We must come together in November to use our ballots to change America and Alabama for the better.”
    Persons interested in joining and leaning more about ANSC, may contact Shelley Fearson at the ANSC State Office in Montgomery at 334-262-0932; or Carol Zippert, Greene County ANSC at 205-372-0525.
    Meeting in Montgomery on Saturday, February 1, more than 150 delegates to the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA), a sister political organization of the Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC), made endorsements of candidates running in the March 3, 2020 primary.
    ANSA members heard from candidates and asked them questions as part of the endorsement process.
    Representatives of Presidential candidates: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Michael Bloomberg were present and participated in the screening. Former Vice President Joe Biden received the ANSA endorsement.

  • ANSA endorses local candidates in the Democratic primary set for June 5, 2018

    The Greene County Chapter of the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) met over the past weekend to screen and endorse candidates for the primary election to be held on June 5, 2018.
    Candidates for local offices made short presentations to the ANSA members and then answered questions from a screening committee and the general membership.
    For Probate Judge, ANSA endorsed Jeremy Rancher in a close contest with Rev. James Carter. Rev. John Kennard and Rashon Smith also appeared to be screened, however neither Rolanda M. Wedgeworth nor Grace Belton Stanford, who were invited, appeared before the group.
    For Circuit Clerk, ANSA endorsed Veronica Morton Jones over Debra Blackmon.
    For Sheriff, ANSA heard from Lorenzo French and Beverly Spencer, two of the four candidates and endorses Lorenzo French. Incumbent Sheriff Jonathan Benison and Jimmie L. Benison declined the invitation to appear before the group.
    For Coroner, ANSA chose to endorse Ronald K. Smith, incumbent Coroner, for the position over Finest Gandy Jr., his opponent.
    ANSA heard from most of the candidates for the Greene County Commission and endorsed the following:

    • Lester Brown –
    District 1
    • Tennyson Smith –
    District 2
    • Elzora Fluker –
    District 3
    • Allen Turner Jr. –
    District 4
    •Rashonda Summerville –
    District 5

    The ANSA members plan to work between now and the election to support this slate of local candidates. On April 21, ANSA will hold its statewide convention in Montgomery to screen and endorse candidates for statewide and multi-county districts to complete its slate of candidates for the June 5, 2018 primary election.