Off the Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in Alabama

Kicked off the ballot, still on the ballot

Even though he was booted from the Republican Primary for the House District 7 race, former State Rep. Angelo “Doc” Mancuso will be appearing on the primary ballot on Tuesday.  Mancuso challenged incumbent Republican Ernie Yarbrough in the primary for the seat before being disqualified by the Alabama Republican Party steering committee.  Despite his disqualification, he will still appear on the May 19 ballot for two internal party positions in the Lawrence County GOP, including one race against his HD7 opponent. Apparently qualifying fees were already paid and the ballots printed. In the midst of all this, he’s also still running in the HD7 race and will face off against Yarbrough in the General Election as a “Trump Independent.”

Mo Brooks is fighting everyone. Everyone is winning.

Mo Brooks is not having a good week. First, President Trump told reporters from the White House that he realized Brooks “wasn’t very good.” Now, Brooks is lashing out at sports gaming and The Business Council of Alabama — a fight political insiders say isn’t helping his cause one bit. Sources are talking, and they’re telling OTR that Brooks is headed for a 20-point loss on Tuesday. You heard it here first.

The incumbent nobody’s rooting for

State Sen. Andrew Jones heads into Tuesday’s District 10 race as anything but a safe incumbent. Polling and insider chatter both point to Amy Dozier Minton as the likely winner. Jones (R-Centre) drew heat after going after Indian Mountain ATV Park following a tragic accident there — park officials called it government overreach, and the optics haven’t improved. His handling of the veterans resource board — dismantling it, rebuilding it with new bylaws and landing himself a seat — hasn’t helped either. Dozier Minton isn’t without her own baggage, but one source close to the race tells OTR simply: “This is the underdog’s race.”

Marques moves, Carl stays

What was shaping up as a tight race is no longer. Redistricting moved the lines, and Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) now finds himself in District 2 — where insiders say U.S. Sen. Katie Britt’s (R-Montgomery) backing makes him the likely winner. That leaves Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) in a crowded District 1 field, though political circles are quietly pointing to him as the front runner heading into Tuesday.