Jesus had the 12 apostles and Alabama has the 12 candidates for governor.
On Thursday, Donald Trent Jones qualified with the Alabama Republican Party to become the 12th major party candidate who has qualified to run for governor of the state in the May 24 major party primaries.
Patricia Salter Jamieson and Arthur Kennedy both qualified with the Alabama Democratic Party earlier this week to run for governor.
The 2022 gubernatorial field was already very crowded.
Incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is seeking reelection. Ivey served two terms as State Treasurer from 2003 to 2011, two terms as Lt. Governor from 2011 to 2017. In 2017 she was elevated to Governor when then Gov. Robert Bentley (R) resigned rather than face impeachment. In 2018 Ivey was elected to her own term.
That a GOP incumbent was already running for the office did not deter Montgomery millionaire Lynda “Lindy” Blanchard. Blanchard is the former U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia.
King’s Home President Lew Burdette has also qualified to run in the 2022 Republican primary.
Greenville businessman Tim James is running in the Republican primary for the third time. Tim is the son of former Gov. Fob James (R). He is best known for building the Foley Beach Express toll bridge. He ran previously in 2002 and 2010.
Former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy Lee George is running for the second time, having previously run in 2014. George (along with State Auditor Jim Zeigler) brought ethics charges against Bentley that resulted in the Governor's eventual resignation.
Enterprise businessman and musician Chad “Chig” Martin is running for the Democratic Party nomination for governor of the state of Alabama, as is Birmingham community activist Yolanda Rochelle Flowers.
Lee County Pastor and private schoolmaster Dean Odle is running for the Republican nomination for Governor. Odle has drawn some attention for his staunch opposition to vaccines and for his position that the Earth is flat and that NASA faked the Apollo moon landings.
Springville Mayor Dave Thomas is also running. Thomas served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002. He was the GOP nominee for Secretary of State in 2002. Thomas created controversy when he recently admitted he smokes marijuana and wants to legalize and decriminalize cannabis.
There are more candidates who are reportedly preparing to enter this field.
The major party primaries will both be on May 24.
Independent and minor party candidates have until that date to get their fees and all of their paperwork including signed ballot access petitions turned in.
Major party candidates have until 5 p.m. central standard time on Friday, Jan. 28, to get all of their fees and paperwork turned in with either the Alabama Republican Party or the Alabama Democratic Party. Candidates can qualify online or in person at the party headquarters buildings. The Alabama Republican Party headquarters building is on Lorna Road in Hoover and the Alabama Democratic Party headquarters building is in Montgomery. Contact the party for more information.
The cost for qualifying for any office is equal to 2% of the base salary of the office. The fee for qualifying for Governor is $2,491.28.
Update: On the last day of qualifying, former GOP candidate for Secretary of State and congress Dean Young joined the Republican field. State Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier and Doug “New Blue” Smith both joined the Democratic field taking the total number of qualified gubernatorial candidates up to 15.
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