Republican candidate for Alabama House District 7, Dr. Angelo "Doc" Mancuso, may soon be removed from the district's GOP primary ballot pending a decision by the Alabama Republican Executive Committee.
Mancuso is arguing that the body should allow him to remain on the ballot despite questions from his opponent, State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity), and the Alabama Republican Party about his political allegiances, given his past state legislative service as a Democrat.
According to Mancuso, Yarbrough has been "lobbying" the state executive board "day in and day out" to have him removed from the ballot.
"I have friends on that board as well. I have friends in the Republican Party, and they're saying this guy is calling them up and putting some strong-arm pressure on the executive committee," Mancuso told 1819 News. "I didn't even call them. You know it's supposed to be professional. Decisions will be made the way decisions should be made, hopefully based on facts."
Mancuso alleged a pattern of unwarranted removal tied to Yarbrough, referencing a Lawrence County official's removal from a local board, saying the man was replaced by "Yarborough's people" at the lawmaker's suggestion.
"You don't kick people off a committee or a significant board and use your power to do that," Mancuso continued. "Ken Johnson [ Chairman of the Lawrence County Republican Party] showed up at the Lawrence County Industrial Development Board. He was told that he was kicked off the board and was replaced by two of Ernie Yarborough's people. One was his cousin, a contributor. The other was some guy who I never really knew anything about, and they were put on the board."
"Spiteful, irreprehensible. I think those are nice words that one should be using when talking about this. Is this what people want of a state representative to have vendettas? This alone should be a reason for having the people vote."
The Lawrence County Republican Party has not endorsed Mancuso in HD7, but supports his right to remain on the ballot. Lawrence County Republican Party chairman Ken Johnson said he wanted residents to know the local Republican chapter is not pushing for Mancuso's removal.
"What you find is, people want the right to vote. They deserve the right to vote," Johnson stated. "In our investigation into his [Mancuso's] background, we couldn't find anything Democrat related more recent than 12 years. The ALGOP gives us software that allows me to look and see how a person is modeled, and he was modeled as a Republican at like 80% or close to it."
"It is not our county party," Johnson stressed. "We sent a letter to the steering committee yesterday because we want to make it clear to the people here that it is not our local party that is depriving them of the right to vote and make a choice. We let primary voters decide that on a local level. We have had to examine, look at the facts and examine candidates. We have denied people, sure, and we've accepted them, but we always tried to adhere to our bylaws."
Johnson added, "There's no model Republican in a county like ours, but we have good conservative people we have now identified, and we feel if they're voting Republican and they're wanting to hear, let's let them join us."
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough has responded to Mancuso's claims, arguing the former Democrat has been enabled by a "small group" of individuals on a local level.
"As to Mr. Mancuso accusing me… "Ernie Yarbrough and his cronies", such terminology is patently false and actually hilarious," wrote Yarbrough in a social media post. "I've certainly had to deal with local cronies, but I've yet to receive an offer of help from any of them. Their behavior has required me to constantly watch my own back."
"Interestingly enough, this same small group has prioritized putting Mr. Mancuso on the ballot for the Lawrence County Republican Executive Committee and they did so by putting him in a district spot they had for a long time denied to a duly elected county Republican public office holder even though Mr. Mancuso hasn't ever come to any local Republican Party meetings or been involved in Republican politics in any measurable way," Yarbrough continued.
The lawmaker acknowledged the past shifting landscape of Alabama politics, noting that a "one-time party swap" "makes sense" as in the apparent case of Mancuso.
"I believe in free and fair elections, parties upholding legitimate rules, and Alabama elections being free, fair, and honest," Yarbrough said. "I also believe in doing your own research on candidates, which I did. I would encourage you to do the same. Google is free!"
"I assume the state party has done the same, but I am not on that committee. The state committee does have rules that allow for a party swap. They also have rules that ensure party integrity."
Yarbrough concluded, "Those two things are not mutually exclusive. They work together."
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