Dothan area businessman Jeff Coleman wants to run for Congress and is asking Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) and Secretary of State John H. Merrill (R) to ask the U.S. Supreme Court for clarification whether he can run as a Republican or not.
Republican qualifying ended on Jan. 28. A three-judge federal panel extended congressional qualifying to Feb. 11 and ordered the state to change its redistricting. Alabama appealed the redistricting case to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Court stayed the lower court decision. 1819 News called Merrill at the time and asked if qualifying was now over. After seeking clarification from the court and his attorneys, Merrill told 1819 News that he was leaving that decision to the parties. The Alabama Democratic Party kept congressional qualifying open to Feb. 11, but the Alabama Republican Party refused to qualify congressional candidates who attempted to qualify after the original Jan. 28 deadline, including Coleman.
“We refuse to be steamrolled,” Coleman said in a statement. “Voters deserve a choice.”
Coleman says that he hand-delivered letters to AG Marshall and Sec. Merrill, requesting they seek clarification from the United States Supreme Court whether in their ruling they intended to nix the February 11th filing deadline for all congressional candidates.
“The simple fact is voters deserve a choice, but right now a political machine is doing everything they can to protect the insiders and Namby-Pamby politicians who are driving America into a ditch,” said Coleman. “That’s why I am asking Secretary Merrill and General Marshall to do what’s right by the people, to stand up to political cronyism and ask the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify this matter so voters have a real choice in this upcoming election.”
Following a request from Jeff Coleman, on Friday a lower court declined to clarify the deadline for filing for Congress and said Mr. Coleman can’t be a party to the case.
“This is about letting the people decide between the same old corrupt career politicians or an Alabama tough trucker with a proven track record of job creation and standing up for what’s right,” Coleman.
Coleman added that his Jeff Coleman for Congress “Alabama Tough” Air Horn Truck Tour will be coming to a city and town near you.
Coleman is running in Alabama’s Second Congressional District if he can get ballot access.
Coleman wants to challenge first-term incumbent Barry Moore in the Republican primary.
An Alabama Republican insider told 1819 News that the party did not deny Coleman ballot access and that he could have run for Congress if he simply filed by their stated Jan. 28 deadline.
If Coleman is unable to get the courts to force the Alabama GOP to add him to their primary ballot, he has the option of running on the Nov. 8 general election ballot as an independent or minor party candidate, though that would require obtaining thousands of CD2 registered voters to sign to allow him on the ballot.
Coleman is one of the wealthiest men in Alabama. He is the third generation of his family to be President and CEO of the family’s Dothan-based moving company. Coleman is a former Chairman of the influential Business Council of Alabama (BCA). Moore defeated Coleman in the 2020 Republican primary runoff for the open CD2 seat.
The Republican primary is on May 24. Barry Moore currently has no primary challenger, though he will face a Democratic challenger in November.
