I’m choosing Everett Wess for U.S. Senate because I’m looking for someone who understands Alabama from multiple perspectives and has spent his career working in public service, law, technology and education.

Wess is an Alabama attorney who has served as a municipal judge, prosecutor and public defender. He also spent more than a decade working in Huntsville in technology, engineering and education, including work connected to NASA and national-security systems.

What stands out to me are the issues he has made central to his campaign: affordable healthcare, protecting voting rights, quality public education, economic opportunity and equal justice. His campaign has also specifically addressed the challenges facing rural Alabama healthcare and hospitals.

For me, this election is about choosing the candidate whose experience and priorities most closely align with what I want to see from Alabama's next U.S. senator. After looking at the candidates and the issues, I have decided that Everett Wess is the candidate I want to support.

I support Andrew Sneed because he brings a different kind of experience to the conversation about representing North Alabama. He was born and raised in Huntsville, attended Huntsville City Schools, and built a career that took him from working as a $10-an-hour plumber’s helper to starting and operating his own small business. Today, he is a husband, father of three and local business owner.

What resonates with me is his emphasis on listening to people across North Alabama and bringing a practical, community-focused perspective to Congress. His campaign has centered on rebuilding trust in government, accountability and making sure people feel heard. He has also held town halls across the district to hear directly from voters about their concerns.

For me, supporting Andrew Sneed is about wanting representation that understands the people and communities of North Alabama, values listening and believes that public service should be about serving the people who sent you to Washington.

I support Doug Jones because of his long record of public service and his belief that government should focus on solving problems rather than simply dividing people. As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, he played a central role in prosecuting two of the men responsible for the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church, a case that represented an important moment in Alabama’s history and pursuit of justice.

As Alabama’s U.S. senator, Jones brought that same emphasis on service and accountability to Washington. He worked on issues including healthcare, education, rural broadband, veterans’ benefits, economic development and civil rights, and he worked with members of both parties on legislation. Georgetown notes that 25 of his bipartisan bills became law during his three years in the Senate.

I support Doug Jones because I value his experience, his connection to Alabama and his emphasis on finding common ground while still standing up for the issues he believes matter. I believe Alabama benefits from leaders who are willing to listen to people who don't always agree with them and who understand that public service is ultimately about serving the people of the state.

I support Phillip Ensler because I’ve been impressed by his approach to public service and, especially, his willingness to work across the aisle to actually get things done. As a state representative, he represented Montgomery’s House District 74 and built a record around issues affecting students, families, public safety and communities. He worked with Republicans and Democrats to advance legislation, including Beau’s Law, an animal welfare measure, and legislation establishing conflict-resolution and violence-prevention instruction for Alabama public school students.

I also appreciate that Ensler brings experience as an educator, attorney and community advocate to public office. Before serving in the Legislature, he taught social studies in Montgomery Public Schools and created a mentorship program that has helped Alabama students pursue college and career opportunities. As lieutenant governor, he would preside over the Alabama Senate, and I believe his experience working with people who don't always agree with him would be valuable in that role.

For me, supporting Phillip Ensler is about supporting a leader who believes public service should be about finding solutions, listening to people and working with others—even when you don't share the same political party.

I support Wayne Rogers for Secretary of State because I believe this office requires someone who understands both the law and the importance of making elections accessible, fair and transparent. Rogers is an Alabama attorney and former federal prosecutor who has spent decades working in the legal system and public service. He also served for five years on the Jefferson County Election Commission, attending its meetings and gaining firsthand experience with how elections are administered.

What particularly stands out to me is his belief that the Secretary of State should serve as an impartial administrator of elections. His campaign emphasizes protecting voter access, election integrity and transparent election administration. He has also advocated for expanding opportunities for eligible Alabamians to vote.

The Secretary of State is much more than the person who oversees elections. The office maintains Alabama's statewide voter registration database, certifies candidates and election results, handles campaign-finance filings, maintains important state records and oversees business registrations and other commercial filings.

For me, supporting Wayne Rogers is about wanting a Secretary of State who brings legal experience, firsthand knowledge of election administration and a commitment to making sure Alabama's elections are administered fairly and transparently.

I support Violet Edwards for State Auditor because I believe accountability and transparency in government matter, and I think her experience managing public resources at the local level gives her a strong understanding of the responsibility that comes with this office. Edwards has served on the Madison County Commission since 2020 and was reelected in 2024, becoming the first Black woman to serve on the commission. During her time there, she has overseen county departments and helped guide investments in areas including workforce development, senior services, food access and community infrastructure.

I also appreciate the combination of experience she brings to the job. Before entering public service, Edwards worked in television and radio news, including investigative reporting, and she holds both a communications degree from the University of Alabama and an MBA from UAH. Her campaign emphasizes transparency, responsible stewardship of public resources and making sure Alabamians can have confidence in how the state manages its property and finances.

For me, supporting Violet Edwards is about having an independent voice asking questions about how Alabama's resources are managed and making sure the public can see how government is using the assets entrusted to it.

I support Allison Montgomery for State House District 25 because she brings a combination of North Alabama roots, technical experience and grassroots advocacy that I value. Allison is a Huntsville native, a software engineer supporting Redstone Arsenal, a UAH graduate and a longtime community and political volunteer. She has spent the past several years studying legislation, organizing grassroots efforts and advocating for her community at the State House.

What particularly resonates with me is her focus on the issues that directly affect Alabama families—healthcare, public education and the rights of working people—while pushing back against the constant focus on divisive culture-war issues. She has said she wants to work with legislators across differences to focus on substantive policy and good governance.

For me, supporting Allison is about having someone representing District 25 who understands the community, knows how to dig into complicated issues and is willing to listen, work with others and advocate for practical solutions. I want a representative who sees the job as serving constituents first, and I believe Allison brings that perspective to this race.

I would vote yes because this doesn't automatically consolidate any school systems. It creates a process for communities that may determine that consolidation makes sense. Importantly, it includes an impact study and gives residents a mechanism to force a public vote. I think local communities should have the ability to consider whether sharing resources could improve educational opportunities, reduce duplication or make better use of public money, while still giving families and voters a meaningful voice in the decision.

I would vote no because I don't think the Alabama Constitution needs to be changed to give the Legislature additional control over its own compensation and spending. The provision dealing with a lieutenant governor vacancy has a reasonable goal—restoring voters' ability to choose someone to finish the term—but I don't think that one change necessarily justifies putting the other provisions into the Constitution. I would rather see the Legislature address these issues through ordinary law where appropriate, with greater transparency and accountability to voters.

I would vote no because I don't believe the Alabama Constitution needs to mandate these practices in every public school. Students already have the right to voluntarily participate in the Pledge, and student-initiated religious expression is already protected by the First Amendment. I support students' freedom to pray and express their religious beliefs, but I also believe public schools should protect students who have different religious beliefs—or no religious beliefs at all. The government's role should be protecting that freedom, not establishing a particular practice across every public school.

I would vote no because I don't think the Alabama Constitution should be used to dictate a weekly patriotic ceremony in every public school. I can value the history and meaning of the national anthem while also believing that schools should have the flexibility to decide how they use instructional time and how they teach American history and civics. To me, patriotism is strongest when it is voluntary and meaningful—not when government mandates a particular expression of it.