Alabama Senate District 33 Republican nominee Pete Riehm says his campaign is the victim of pressure from those who are opposing his candidacy.
In a release sent out earlier this week, Riehm expressed his disappointment that a meet-and-greet fish fry at the Shell Bayou Elks Lodge on Africatown Blvd in the Plateau community of Mobile scheduled for Friday was canceled.
During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5, Riehm alleged the venue's staff succumbed to a pressure campaign that resulted in the cancellation.
"[S]adly, somebody – I don't know who, they didn't tell me – put a lot of pressure on the Elks Lodge people, who we are very, very appreciative to the Elks Lodge people," Riehm said. "They did not cancel it. They just said they were getting a lot of pressure. And look, I told the guy – I appreciate him giving us the opportunity. We weren't trying to cause him problems, and I said, 'Look, we'll defer to you. If you think we should cancel, it's better because we don't want to cause you problems. We'll do that.' And he was very thankful because I don't know what kind of pressure they were putting on him, but from everything I was getting, it was pretty intense.
"We're just very disappointed because we were very much looking forward to meeting the people in Plateau and the surrounding area and hearing from them. And we're still looking for an alternate venue and time to do it. But we're disappointed that they don't want to let the people hear from both sides. That's what we're disappointed in."
Riehm said it has only been in the last week that his campaign has encountered scheduling conflicts. He faces six-term incumbent State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile) in a reapportioned district that now includes parts of Baldwin County and other precincts that have voted Republican in the past.
Jeff Poor is the executive editor of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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