State Democratic Party Reacts To Expected Party Switch By Democratic State Senator
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: October 1, 2012
Alabama
Democratic
Party Chairman, Mark Kennedy, announced today that Democratic State
Senator, Jerry Fielding, intends to switch parties and caucus with the
Republican supermajority. Senator
Fielding's announcement is expected tomorrow.
Fielding was elected to the Senate in 2010 and represents parts of Calhoun, Coosa, Elmore, and
Talladega counties. Before being elected to the Senate as a Democrat, Senator Fielding served for 26 years as
a District and Circuit Court Judge. Fielding was first appointed to the bench by Democratic Governor George Wallace
and won re-election and served for almost three decades on the bench as a Democrat.
"I've
known Jerry
Fielding for more than 20 years, and I've never known him to be anything
but a man of principle and a good Democrat," said Chairman Kennedy. "I
find it hard to believe that Jerry would turn his back on his Party and the people who have elected him time and time again. While
the
matter of choosing a political party is a personal prerogative, it is
disingenuous and unfair to voters for officials to unexpectedly announce
a party switch halfway through the term they were elected to serve."
Kennedy added, "I have a pretty good idea of what Jerry Fielding intends to tell the voters tomorrow.
He'll say he's not leaving the Democratic Party--the Democratic Party left him, or some other tired clich. The
bottom
line is that Jerry Fielding buckled under the pressure of the
Republican supermajority that is out to drive every white Democrat out
of office. The
redistricting
plan passed by the Republican supermajority is intended to make white
Democrats in the legislature extinct, and Jerry Fielding must have
decided that serving part time in the legislature is more important to
him than principle or the Party that
has had his back for almost 30 years."
"I'll be interested to see who the Republicans run against Jerry in the 2014 Primary Election,"
said Kennedy. "I can guarantee you that whatever promises the Republicans have made to Senator Fielding won't
hold up."
