For months, State Auditor Jim Zeigler had explored launching a primary challenge against Gov. Kay Ivey. In late January, he announced that he would forgo a bid to become the state’s chief executive and instead seek Alabama’s open Secretary of State seat.
The current state auditor joined State Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy), former Alabama elections administrator Ed Packard and Republican activist Chris Horn in seeking the GOP nomination for the position.
The seat, presently occupied by term-limited Secretary of State John Merrill, is widely seen as a consequential position in the current political climate given increased attention provided to the issue of election integrity.
Zeigler on Wednesday took his candidacy to become the state’s chief elections official to North Alabama, where he delivered what he referred to as a “major” speech to the Republican Women of Madison outlining his campaign theme.
Following the meeting, Yellowhammer News spoke with Zeigler regarding the state of the race and his plans for the secretary of state’s office.
If elected, Zeigler asserted that he would operate as a custodian over the security of Alabama’s elections.
“In seven years as the state auditor, I have been a watchman against government waste, mismanagement and corruption,” said Zeigler. “Well, I intend to take that same approach and passion and be the watchman for election integrity. Election integrity may be the single most important issue.”
“If we lose honest elections in America, we’ve gone down the tubes,” he added. “We won’t have a voice on taxes, on pro-life, on foreign affairs, on these mandates. The vote is the ultimate accountability for the taxpaying public. So I intend to be the watchman of our elections.”
Zeigler went on to detail his opposition to automatic voter registration, foreign nationals voting in state elections, ballot drop boxes and the federalization of elections.
During his two terms as state auditor, Zeigler has developed a reputation in the state’s political arena as an atypical public figure due to the style he has adopted in carrying out the duties of his office. Zeigler’s ability to garner media publicity has led to him enjoying reasonably high name identification among the electorate. Polling released by Zeigler last month indicated that he held a 20-point lead over his GOP primary opponents.
Voter awareness of his name also stems from some rather uncommon sources, according to Zeigler.
“I get some unusual name ID from the Zeigler bologna company,” advised the candidate. “Now, the politicians in Montgomery think it’s funny… it’s a well-respected, old Alabama-based company and I’ll take all the name ID I can get. And Zig Zeigler, the motivational speaker and sales trainer… Zig’s been dead since 2011. I get about once a week, someone will ask about Zig and I’ll tell them what I know.”
Zeigler told Yellowhammer News that he intends to hold a meeting with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in the coming months to seek information regarding the 2020 presidential election.
The primary election will take place on May 24, 2022.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
