BIRMINGHAM – The Alabama Republican Party contends the Democratic Party got lucky in the House District 10 special election Tuesday.
The special election saw Democratic candidate Marilyn Lands receive more than 62% of the vote over Republican opponent Teddy Powell.
However, Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl downplayed the win, citing demographics and a low voter turnout while criticizing Powell’s campaign messaging.
“National Democrats are trying to insinuate that House District 10 is a bellwether decision, not just for Alabama but also for the entire country,” wrote Wahl in a statement. “What they forget to say is that this is a purple district where Democrats always had a chance.”
Wahl also said Powell’s “middle of the road” strategy did not attract enough Republican voters, contributing to a 14.5% voter turnout.
“Low turnout special elections are hard to predict, and notorious for unexpected outcomes. Results in these types of races are about which candidate is able to excite their base,” he said. “There are a lot of opinions on what messaging is best in this type of situation, and the Republican candidate chose a middle of the road strategy in an attempt to bring in swing voters. That was the candidate’s decision and we respected it, though unfortunately it did not have the desired outcome of turning out Republican voters.
“It’s important to remember that only 14.5% of the population voted in this special election, and that is extremely low turnout when compared to a regular general election. Democrats got lucky yesterday, and the Alabama Republican Party is committed to taking this seat back in 2026.”
“Thank you to the people of District 10 who voted for me today and thank you to everyone who volunteered, canvassed, called, contributed and helped our campaign in every way,” Powell said. “We are proud of the campaign we ran. We ran a tough and respectful race and that is something that we are incredibly proud of.
“Our state has so much to offer and I believe if we come together, we can accomplish great things.”
The party chairman said conservative messaging is the key to GOP victories.
“The Alabama Republican Party has been extremely successful in swing districts across the state in recent years. Our strategy has been highlighting bold, conservative messaging that pushes back on the national Democrat Party’s flawed policies and woke, socialist agenda,” Wahl wrote. “The GOP picked up 50 seats across Alabama in 2022 with this bold messaging. We talked about parental rights in education, protecting our children from indoctrination, and the fact we can tell the difference between a man and a woman. Republicans across the country did not fare as well as Republicans here in Alabama, and the lesson is we cannot not be afraid to stand strong for conservative values.
“Republicans win when we talk about policy and the principles we believe in.”
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