This year is a presidential election year. Our Republican presidential primary is an election right in the heart of Dixie. Our country is a one-party state, especially when it comes to presidential elections. Alabama is one of a group of states that holds its primaries early, on March 5th to be exact. Therefore, in two months we will be going to the polls to choose our president.

The presidential election is likely to be a rematch between Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump. Americans are not very keen on watching this rebroadcast. I have never seen such a strange presidential matchup or such an unusual scenario in my life.

The old political theory that “more people vote against someone than for someone'' will definitely have an impact in this presidential election. More and more people want to vote for someone over Trump or Biden. I have never seen two presidential candidates with such high negative votes. In fact, if the Republicans nominated anyone other than Trump, they would defeat Biden. Similarly, if the Democrats nominated someone other than Biden, they would defeat Trump. If Biden and Trump are indeed the candidates, voter turnout in November will be low.

As I remind you every four years, we do not elect our president by direct vote. You vote for the electors who go to the Electoral College and vote. In a “winner-take-all” electoral system, if a candidate wins a state by her one vote, she will win all of that state's electors.

Our country has a partisanally polarized electoral district, with less than 10 of the 50 states important in presidential elections. The presidential race will be decided in Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Georgia. The few remaining truly independent voters in these key swing states will decide the presidency. Both parties will focus their efforts and resources on these states.

The idea of ​​American voters lockstep voting for straight parties is so entrenched that presidential races are predetermined in at least 40 states. As I often say, “If Mickey Mouse were the Republican candidate, he would carry Alabama on his back. Likewise, if Donald Duck were the Democratic candidate, he would carry California on his back.” It will stand.'' It will be fun to watch.

Alabama doesn't have many good races to watch. There are four seats on the state Supreme Court up for election this year. However, popular Republican judges Will Sellers, Jay Mitchell, and Tommy Bryan are all running unopposed and will continue to serve for another six years.

Justice Sarah Stewart is choosing to run for chief justice, leaving her seat vacant. The case will be headed by Judge Chris McCool of the Republican Court of Criminal Appeals, but like Mr. Sellers, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Bryan, he has failed to attract any opposition from either Democrats or Republicans.

The chief justice election is the only seat contested on the Supreme Court. Stewart's two opponents are Brian Taylor and Jerry Michael Blevins.

The Democratic Party has fielded a candidate for the chief justice election. Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin will participate in the vote. But winning a statewide election in the heart of Dixie as a Democrat would be difficult to say the least, not just unlikely, but maybe impossible. He has 29 statewide elected offices in Alabama, and all 29 of his are held by Republicans.

Running for Chris McCool's seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals are two Republican assistant attorneys general, Thomas Govan and Rich Anderson. Both are well qualified for this appellate article.

All of the leading incumbents have redistricted under a federal court decision that redraws the state's congressional district lines to create new minority Democratic districts. But the districts of our veteran seniority members are likely being strengthened to their benefit.

Republican Reps. Robert Aderholt and Mike Rogers and freshman Republican Dale Strong have no opponents or some semblance of opposition. Democratic U.S. Rep. Terry Sewell will also be given a free ride.

This is not the case in the newly drawn First District. The March 5 primary, where two incumbent Republicans, Jerry Kahl (Mobile/Baldwin) and Wiregrass Republican Barry Moore, are placed in the same district and will be decided that day because it is a super-Republican district. They will compete against each other in elections. .

Alabama's biggest election so far this year will be in the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District, which runs from Montgomery to Mobile. We'll discuss that race next week.

see you next week.

Steve Flowers served in the state Legislature for 16 years.You can contact him at [email protected].