Alabama voters head to polls for party primaries

ALABAMA (WCBI) – Alabama voters head to the polls Tuesday for party primaries.

There is a full slate of state and local positions up for grabs. At the top of the ballot, Governor Kay Ivey faces 8 opponents in the Republican Primary for the Gubernatorial nomination. There are 6 candidates on the Democratic side.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t see the Lieutenant Governor on the ballot. Republican Will Ainsworth was the only candidate to qualify. There is no Democratic Candidate. In fact, there are Democrats on the ticket for Auditor, State Treasurer, or Commissioner of Agriculture, but most other positions will be contested.

On the National front, the big news is Senator Richard Shelby is retiring after this term, leaving that seat wide open, and there are 6 candidates vying for the Republican nomination, including outspoken Congressman Mo Brooks. On the Democratic side, there are 3 candidates in the running.

At the county level, all local offices are up for election. One race of interest in our area; for the first time since Reconstruction, there is no Democratic Candidate for Sheriff in Pickens County.