Republican Gov. Kay Ivey touted her role in job creation to supporters Monday afternoon at one of her final campaign stops before the election Tuesday.
At a previous campaign stop, Ivey flaunted the 16,000 jobs created in Alabama during her short reign as governor, The Plainsman previously reported.
“Some 19 months ago, when I took the oath of office and became governor, I spoke to the people of Alabama and I promised that we would clean up government, restore the people’s trust and we would get Alabama working again,” Ivey said. “Promises made; promises kept.”
Those four words echoed throughout the second floor of the Auburn University Regional Airport as her supporters repeated the lines along with her and cheered.
Alabama is working again, and you can see that throughout the state, Ivey said.
“Today, y’all, more people are working in our red state than ever before in the state’s history,” Ivey said. “That’s good news.”
In September of 2017, Alabama had its lowest unemployment rate in state history at 3.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics. Since then, unemployment rate has risen to 4.1 percent in September of this year.
Alabama's current unemployment rate sits higher than the national average of 3.9 percent, which is higher than each of Alabama’s neighboring states, except Mississippi. But the number is drastically lower than the state's Recession-era high of 11.8 percent in October 2009.
“I’m looking forward, with eager anticipation, to all that can be coming our way and will be coming our way,” Ivey said. “More good-paying jobs, improved education, an infrastructure plan that works for 21st Century Alabama, of preserving our conservative values and always maintaining the trust of our people.”
Ivey also discussed her role in improving education statewide and cutting taxes for many Alabamians.
“I was able to sign the largest middle-class tax cut in a decade,” Ivey said. “Then we moved to education and improved our education system. And, working with the legislature, we were able to put together the largest investment in education for a decade.”
That middle-class tax cut was the largest in over a decade with over 182,000 Alabamians that qualified for it. But those tax payers will see an average tax cut that is marginal at best. The average tax payer will save $21.97 annually, according to an AP Fact check.
Ivey is not done yet, she said. She wants to continue to serve Alabama in the governor’s office.
The main goal of Ivey’s stop in Auburn was to get out the vote for the election Tuesday. She encouraged supporters to go to the polls and to encourage their friends and family to vote, too. Ivey is facing Democratic challenger Walt Maddox, the mayor of Tuscaloosa.
“Together we will win this election and create an even brighter future for the state of Alabama,” Ivey said.
Maddox has served as a center-left foil to Ivey, pushing for a state education lottery and Medicaid expansion.
Among Ivey’s supporters were Rep. Joe Lovvorn, who represents Auburn in Alabama’s House of Representatives. He's up for re-election Tuesday, along with State Sen. Tom Whatley, who represents Auburn in the State Senate. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. Congress, was also among Ivey's supporters Monday.
Rogers, who is seeking his ninth term in Congress, is facing Democratic nominee Mallory Hagan, a former Miss America and local news anchor.
“We have enjoyed, really, a nice run here in Alabama,” Rogers said when introducing Ivey. “We are doing wonderfully. That stuff doesn’t happen by accident. We are on the right track, and we need to keep it that way. And we keep it that way by keeping this lady in the governor’s mansion.”
This was Ivey’s fifth stop of the day. She flew to locations throughout the state on a plane paid for by Jimmy Rane, the founder and CEO of Great Southern Wood. Rane, who is well-known as the "Yella Fella" and Alabama's richest person, is a top-tier Republican donor.
She left supporters with a message to vote in Tuesday’s election before posing for photos with other Republican candidates and supporters, and after a quick prayer with other Alabama Republican candidates, she left for her final campaign stop of the day in Birmingham.
“With your help and God’s grace, we’ll win this thing,” Ivey said.
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Elizabeth, senior in journalism and political science, is the community editor for The Plainsman
