Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill (R) predicted that he and the Alabama Secretary of State’s office will be vindicated in a lawsuit brought by My Pillow's Mike Lindell and his team. The suit was filed on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard and State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Scottsboro).
“Mike Lindell has proven that he has no credibility,” Merrill told 1819 News on Monday. “His team drafted the lawsuit against me that was filed on Thursday, May 19th.”
Blanchard and Hanes had sought to require that all of the votes cast on May 24th be counted by hand and that electronic voting machines not be used. Despite this, the Secretary of State’s office proceeded with the machine count.
Blanchard received 125,915 votes, 19.26% of the votes cast in the Republican primary. Ivey received 356,347 votes, 54.46% of the votes cast. Blanchard finished second in the May 24 Republican primary, but since incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey had over 50% of the votes cast in the Republican primary, Ivey won the primary without a runoff.
Hanes, one of the most socially conservative members of the Alabama House of Representatives, lost his re-election bid in North Alabama’s House District 23. Hanes received 3,707 votes, 48.41% of the votes cast; while challenger Mike Kirkland received 3,950 votes, 51.59%.
Merrill said that the state of Alabama is the leader in the nation in having the best processes to protect the integrity of the vote.
Lindell, on the other hand, attacked Merrill and claimed that incumbent Ivey should have been in a runoff with Blanchard.
“John Merrill, I am going to call you out,” Lindell charged in a recent TV appearance. “There would have been a runoff with Kay Ivey and Blanchard.”
1819 News asked Merrill if he was confident in Alabama’s voting processes.
“That has been proven time and time again,” Merrill said. “What we have to say about the machines we will say in court. What I will say is that I have been sued 27 times, and this one will make 28, as Alabama Secretary of State. Two went all the way to the United States Supreme Court and I am a perfect 27 and 0 and I am confident that I will prevail in this one too.”
Lindell claimed that Alabama undercounted Trump votes in 2020 by “9%.”
“They are the fourth most corrupt state in the country,” Lindell charged of the state of Alabama.
Blanchard filed the lawsuit in Montgomery Circuit Court. She is represented by Melissa Isaak and Andrew Parker.
Blanchard has conceded the race to Gov. Ivey.
There will be a Republican primary runoff on June 21 for a number of other offices besides governor.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
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