TUSCALOOSA — A candidate social on Wednesday night sparked conversations and a full room in downtown Tuscaloosa’s District Room.
The event, hosted by Young Republicans of Tuscaloosa and Pickens County, underscored strong local engagement leading up to the May 19 primary.
Despite a full advertised list of six candidates, only Nicole Wadsworth, Pat Bishop and Tommy Barnes appeared in person.
The other candidates, John Wahl, Katherine Robertson, and Caroleene Dobson, sent representatives who delivered remarks on their behalf.
The event was less of a forum than a meet-and-greet, allowing attendees to meet and talk with the candidates, rotating among them and the campaign tables.
Wadsworth pitched her lieutenant governor campaign to the crowd, beginning by echoing her visits to all 67 Alabama counties,
“I want to utilize my voice in the office of lieutenant governor to improve everybody’s quality of life,” Wadsworth said, pointing to five “key” areas, which were: “Industry recruitment and retention, workforce development, statewide infrastructure improvements, rural health care, and public safety.”
Bishop followed with a similar appeal, highlighting what he could do for the state.
“Stop sending politicians to Montgomery,” Bishop said, highlighting his family’s record of service, with both him and his wife serving in law enforcement and the military. Bishop used this to note that he was ready day one with a list of appointments.
The most notable moment came from Barnes, who’s running for District 4, currently held by U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville).
“The Republican Party should welcome competition,” Barnes said, drawing attention from the crowd. “I’m being squashed by much, going against a career politician…but I cannot even get an article…they have not called me one time since I qualified for this office.”
Barnes also talked about his experience in engineering and talked to the young people in the crowd.
The other teams lacking attending candidates didn’t campaign; instead, they encouraged attendees to find and talk to them after.
The social reflects a broader push by local Republican groups to energize younger voters and build momentum ahead of upcoming races.
Trenton Buffenbarger is a senior at the University of Alabama and is the Chairman of the UA Young Americans for Freedom.
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