Five of the six candidates for statewide office who would appear on the following week’s Republican primary runoff ballot each got five minutes to make their case to party loyalists at a Mobile dinner hosted by the county GOP.
The gathering drew members of the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee and gave the candidates a chance to sharpen their messages before the July 15 runoff.
A hometown appeal in the auditor’s race
The only Mobile resident among the contenders, state auditor candidate Jim Zeigler, leaned on his local roots, telling the audience they would not have anyone in state government to call if he lost. He asked for their “unanimous support.”
His opponent, former Marine and retired farmer Dale Peterson, reminded the committee that he, too, had ties to the city. “Well, I was born here,” he said, closing his remarks with, “I’m Dale Peterson, and I’m from Mobile.”
The two offered competing visions for an office that is short on formal authority. “I have a plan to turn the state auditor’s office into something that it’s never been before, and that is a strong monitor of how your tax dollars are spent,” Zeigler said. Peterson called the position a “pretty useless job” and questioned how much either candidate could change it, noting the auditor’s main duty is to account for state property.
Peterson said he would push to bring accountants from the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts under the elected auditor’s control and to raise pay for election registrars, one of whom the auditor appoints in most counties.
Secretary of state and Public Service Commission
The secretary of state runoff pitted former Montgomery County Probate Judge Reese McKinney against state Rep. John Merrill of Tuscaloosa. McKinney argued the office’s election duties aligned closely with a probate judge’s work. “It’s important that we have someone who knows this office,” he said, pointing to training he instituted as probate judge.
Merrill highlighted his sponsorship of a voter photo-ID law and his work to curb secret political donations funneled through multiple committees. “We’re going to identify the perpetrators and make sure they are investigated,” he said, adding that he would streamline business filings and make adoptions easier.
In the Public Service Commission race, former Greene County Commissioner Chris “Chip” Beeker sought to unseat Commissioner Terry Dunn, who did not attend the dinner. Beeker aimed his fire at federal regulators rather than his opponent. “One of the most important jobs this time is to fight federal regulations. The EPA has its targets on Alabama,” he said, vowing to oppose any effort to close coal-fired power plants or raise the cost of coal.
A local stage for statewide contests
The dinner offered a snapshot of a runoff season in which candidates for lower-profile offices worked to distinguish themselves before a small but committed slice of the electorate. Runoffs typically draw modest turnout, placing a premium on face-to-face appeals to the party faithful.
For Mobile Republicans, the evening carried a local dimension beyond the statewide stakes, with Zeigler pressing his claim as the area’s own candidate and Peterson countering with his birthplace. Their exchange over the auditor’s office captured a recurring theme of the night, as candidates debated not only who should hold each post but what the offices should become.
With the July 15 runoff approaching, the candidates left the Mobile dinner to continue campaigning across the state, their five-minute pitches offering party members a final in-person measure of the choices on the ballot.