Violet Edwards, Democratic nominee for state auditor.
Phillip Ensler, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.
Ron Sparks, Democratic nominee for commissioner of agriculture and industries.
With a Democratic candidate running for every state office in November, three candidates spoke to the local group during a thunderstorm as Democrats hope to make it a competitive race this fall: Violet Edwards, Ron Sparks and Phil Ensler.
Edwards, a Madison County commissioner, is the Democratic nominee for state auditor and will face Republican incumbent Justin Sorrell, who has served in the role since 2023.
“What I want to bring to you is a fully funded and a fully staffed audit department,” Edwards said. “Because right now, there are 190 offices that are audited by the state, and we have nine people working in those offices. I’m not saying those nine people aren’t doing a good job; I’m saying they’re underfunded.”
Sparks is the Democratic nominee for commissioner of agriculture and industries, having previously held the position from 2003 to 2010. He faces Republican nominee Corey Hill, mayor of Douglas. Incumbent Rick Pate vacated the seat to run for lieutenant governor but was eliminated in the Republican primary.
“I want to bring back the energy that we had when I was there before,” Sparks said. “We got to save the farmers in Alabama. We got to save the farmland in Alabama. We go to protect the consumers in Alabama. The consumers of Alabama work too hard and when they go buy a gallon of gas, they deserve to get a gallon of gas and that’s not what happens right now. We don’t have the inspectors. We don’t have the gas lab anymore. I want to make sure we bring the department back the way I left it when I left there in 2010.”
Phillip Ensler, who represents District 74 in the Alabama House of Representatives, is running for lieutenant governor, facing Republican nominee John Wahl, former Alabama Republican Party chairman and chair of the state library board.
“Running for lieutenant governor means it’s a chance to continue serving,” Ensler said. “I’ve been doing it as a teacher, as a lawyer and as a legislator. It’s a chance to really continue to move things forward that are going to help people get more money in their pockets, expand access to healthcare, so I’m excited and ask people of all backgrounds for their supporting vote.”
Ensler has been endorsed by former state Sen. Doug Jones, who is running for governor against Republican nominee U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville this fall. According to Ensler, it was Jones who recruited him to run for lieutenant governor as the two look to win in what has long been a deeply Republican state.
“I really see it as a partnership,” Ensler said on his relationship with Jones. “Right now, the governor and lieutenant governor operate pretty separately, but we really envision it as something where it would be a team. I would help execute day-to-day tasks, so campaigning with him and working with him so far has been great and I look forward to us winning in November and taking office.”