Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton wants to run the Alabama Democratic Party, and build a coalition. 

Singleton announced in a press release that he will put his name up for ADP chairman at the party’s reorganization meeting on Aug. 8. He will apparently face current chairman Randy Kelley, who has stated publicly in recent days that he will seek re-election. 

Singleton said he decided to run because he wants to unite the party at a crucial time and help ADP grow. 

“I’m not coming at this from a side,” Singleton said. “I don’t have a side. I’m not interested in fighting. I’m here to win. That’s what I do – I win. And that’s what I want for the Alabama Democratic Party. I have no enemies within our party. I have people I want to work with, and build with, and move this party forward with. That’s why I’m doing this.” 

Once a dominant party in the state for decades, Alabama Democrats have watched the party first deteriorate into a super-minority party in the state legislature and then flounder for a number of years. Singleton, who has been in the Senate since 2005, has had a front row seat to the decline. 

One of the most distressing issues, he said, was losing the support of so many state businesses. Without their support, the party has lacked the funding for the past several years to provide the support necessary to properly assist candidates with campaigns, and it also could do little on a day-to-day basis to perform basic party functions. 

“It’s hard to provide the messaging and proper training when you’re lacking the funds to pay for it,” Singleton said. “That’s one of the first goals for me if I’m able to win – get out there and see what support I can garner from Alabama’s business community.” 

Should he win the chairman’s vote, Singleton will step into the role at the most opportune time in the last 15 years for Democrats. Republicans are suffering from a poor national climate, skyrocketing costs, in-fighting within the state party and a historically disliked gubernatorial candidate at the top of the state ticket. Democrats have a legitimate shot to pick up seats in the Alabama Legislature.  

Singleton said as party chair, he would hope to provide a steady ship for ADP candidates and work to give them the support they need from the party. 

“We’re doing well this cycle, and there’s a lot of hope, but we have to do everything we can to support the candidates we have on the ballot,” Singleton said. “The party needs to do a better job helping them with messaging and turning out voters. That’s how we win. And that’s what I’m about.”

Whether or not he’ll get the chance will come down to a vote by members of the State Democratic Executive Committee – the governing body of ADP. It could also be determined by the influence of Joe Reed, the party’s vice chair of minority affairs and the chairman of the Alabama Democratic Conference – the party’s Black caucus. 

For years, Reed has maintained some control over the party, even when he was feuding with Sen. Doug Jones over control of ADP. Current chairman Randy Kelley is an ally of Reed’s. Much of Reed’s power comes from his influence over the SDEC, which he manages to control by way of a court decree that allows the ADC to fill many of the SDEC seats. 

Singleton said he is not running against Reed and Kelley, and he said he planned to seek out both men and talk to them about his plans to run for party chairman. 

“I don’t have a bad relationship with Dr. Reed at all, and I want to be the  one to tell him exactly why I’m doing this,” Singleton said. “We’re on the same side. I want to work with him and I want to get his help. It’s crucial to the party that we all work together. I want this fighting to be over with and for us to move into the future and help the people of this state. That’s my concern here.”

With that in mind, Singleton said he also has a good relationship with Jones, and that one major reason he wants to lead the party is to ensure that the phenomenal slate of candidates that Jones has helped put together gets the support and resources they need. 

“This is one of the best tickets we’ve had in years and I want to ensure these good candidates get all the support they need and that we’re getting them the attention they deserve,” Singleton said. “This is about changing the state of Alabama. We have an opportunity to make significant changes, to win a number of races and do good things for this state.”