Tom Emmer addresses Jefferson County Republicans

October 6, 2024 – Hoover – Congressman Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) addressed the Jefferson County Republican Party at their annual dinner banquet. Emmer is the Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives and the former head of the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC).

Emmer – who served with Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Tim Waltz in the Congress and lives in Gov. Waltz's state – warned that Waltz's view are far out left. Emmer accused Walz of raising taxes in Minnesota, while dramatically increasing government spending and for doing nothing while militants burned down much of Minneapolis during the George Floyd riots.

Emmer himself previously run for Governor of Minnesota, narrowly losing.

Congressman Emmer expressed confidence that President Donald J. Trump (R) would be elected on November 5th; but warned that Republicans need to work hard to elect Republican candidates up and down the ballot.

Emmer was introduced by Congressional colleague Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover).

Emmer specifically named Caroleen Dobson, who is running for Congress in Alabama's Second District, as a candidate that the GOP needs to win so that Republicans can have congressional majorities to support President Trump and his agenda.

Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Chris Brown urged Republicans to support local candidates including probate judge candidates John Amari and Joel Blankenship, school board candidate Phillip Brown, and re-elect tax assessor Johnnie Curry.

Former state Representative Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood) emceed the event. DeMarco is a former Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman.

Chairman Brown thanked DeMarco for all that he had done to improve the finances of the Jefferson County GOP. Brown added that Sunday's the event was the biggest fundraiser that the Jefferson County GOP has ever held.

Other dignitaries present included: Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, Congressman Dale Strong, state Senator Jabo Wagoner, state Senator Dan Roberts, former Secretary of State John Merrill, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell, former state Representative Paul DeMarco, State Rep. Brock Colvin, State Rep. Danny Garrett, State Rep. Arnold Mooney, State Rep. Mike Shaw, and State Rep. Ben Harrison.

Alabama is one of the most Republican states in the country. Republicans hold supermajorities in both houses of the Alabama Legislature, the Governor's office, all the state constitutional offices, all nine seats on the Alabama Supreme Court, every judgeship on the Alabama Courts of Criminal Appeals and Civil Appeals, and all three members of the Alabama Public Service Commission. Donald Trump is likely to beat Vice President Kamala Harris by 25 percentage points or more. Most of the 67 Alabama counties are firmly under Republican control. Not so in Jefferson County. The last time that a Republican Presidential candidate carried Jefferson County was 2004 when President George W. Bush defeated then Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts). Democratic candidates for Governor routinely carry Jefferson County in recent years. While Republicans have a narrow 3 to 2 majority on the Jefferson County Commission, Democrats routinely carry every county wide office in Jefferson County in recent years. Democrats. The Jefferson County GOP hope to change that on November 5th.

Prior to the dinner event included a round table discussion led by Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), which featured Palmer, Emmer, and Dobson. The event was held at the Finley Center which is part of the Hoover Met. Complex.

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