State Auditor Andrew Sorrell recently called on his fellow Republican primary opponent for the Secretary of State’s seat, Caroleene Dobson, to join him in signing a “Clean Campaign Pledge,” promising to avoid engaging in negative campaigning and other attack tactics.
Sorrell and Dobson have both had successful starts to their respective campaigns, despite the primary election being more than 10 months away.
Campaign efforts will obviously pick up as the primary draws nearer, and Sorrell has recently tried to eliminate any potential negative tactics by signing the pledge.
“As Alabama’s chief elections officer, it is important for the next secretary of state to set a moral example that other candidates and campaigns should follow,” Sorrell said. “The ‘Clean Campaign Pledge’ I propose simply states that we will not engage in negative campaigning against each other or condone attacks from outside groups or individuals. In essence, it embraces Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment - Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.”
The full pledge can be found below. The central tenets are:
- The candidates understand that running to become Alabama’s chief elections officer obliges them to conduct a positive campaign that sets an example for others to follow
- The candidates will vigorously debate policy issues but will not engage in negative attacks on their opponent.
- The candidates will not allow, condone, or endorse negative attacks on their behalf by third-party groups or individuals.
- The candidates will encourage all of their supporters to engage in positive campaigning and avoid negative tactics.
“The ball is in Caroleene’s court, and I hope she will accept my request to engage in a civil and friendly campaign that will make every Alabamian proud,” Sorrell continued. “We’ve seen enough discord, division, and deceit among Democrats on the national level, and those kinds of attacks and tactics have no place in the Alabama Republican Party, where we pride ourselves on being Christian conservatives.”
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