Patricia Todd is a fighter

The sorry political games being played by the loser (and supporters) in the Dem race for Alabama House District 54, which out lesbian Patricia Todd won, are sadly based on tossing out the race card by those in her opponent's camp. It's meshed with Alabama politics-as-usual gamesmanship, which Kathy @ Birmingham Blues covers in her post.

Yesterday, Todd outlined why the hearing contesting her win was delayed and what the backroom issues are, calling for the Democratic party to toss out the challenge of her win by the mother-in-law of candidate Gaynell Hendricks (who lost by 59 votes):

I cannot stand by as one person — [Alabama Democratic Conference Chair and Democratic Party Vice-Chair] Dr. Joe Reed — attempts to hold the Alabama Democratic Party hostage just because he doesn’t like the outcome of the race in District 54. Dr. Reed has been closely involved in the racial slander that played such a role in my opponent’s campaign, trying to pit white voters against black. Despite his direct involvement in the Hendricks campaign, he demanded to be placed on the contest committee, and to appoint two other members of the five-person committee. Yesterday in Montgomery, when it became clear that he was not going to control the process, he made sure the hearing would not take place. This is not fair, and I will not stand by as Joe Reed attempts to steal this election from the voters of District 54.

Therefore, I am calling on the Alabama Democratic Party to dismiss the election contest. First of all, I have contended from day one that the contest is without merit, and I stand by that contention. With specific regard to Dr. Reed’s involvement, the media and the public should be aware that Alabama state law requires that the person contesting an election pay the contest fee — in this case, that would be Ms. Childress. But the fee was not paid by Ms. Childress; it was paid by Dr. Reed. This is a clear conflict of interest by a party official, and taints the entire process.

I have spent my entire adult life working for civil rights and justice for all people. I have stood by and listened as my former opponent and her supporters — including the Mayor of this city and other elected officials — have painted me as a racist who somehow had the intention of becoming a Republican after the election. Clearly, they neither know nor care about me and my record of community services and my legislative priorities. I am a Democrat, and will be a Democrat as I go about my duties in the legislature.

Todd would be the first out lesbian lawmaker in Alabama. A date for a rescheduled hearing has not yet been announced.