By Rev. Randy B. Kelley
I herewith express my sincere appreciation to the members of the State Democratic Executive Committee for electing me Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. Without a doubt, this is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon me or any other Democrat. Being Chair of the Party is something I looked forward to a few years ago.However, circumstances intervened and caused me to have some doubt. My ascension to this position is the culmination of a long struggle to give the people of Alabama an effective voice in national and state politics. As Chair of the Party, I recognize the challenges that lie ahead. The first thing we must do is unite the Party, where possible, and recognize that there will always be honest disagreements. This Party must extend a hand to everyone because this Party must be loyal to the people of Alabama. We are not democrats because we love donkeys and dislike elephants. We need Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, solid public education, including support for technical and community colleges, and a higher education system that is second to none.
This Party must be unequivocally identified as supporting the rights of everyone’s right to vote and to be counted. This Party must look to the future and work for the betterment of the people of Alabama. I believe our young people and progressive seniors can forge an alliance that builds a great Alabama. For those who want to ride the progressive train, we welcome you. For those who want to cling to past, we will leave you. This Party must be UNITED. Blacks, Whites, young, old, small, tall, and bald. Together, we can get there. We owe it to our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and oncoming generations yet unborn. I ask you to stand together for the good of Alabama and our future.
