Before the primary, we’ll be featuring information about the candidates running for our Executive Committee. We’ve listed the names of all candidates and information about the candidates who responded to our questionnaire.
Mike Altman
Tell us about yourself and your experience with the Tuscaloosa Co. Democratic Party. I showed up at the Tuscaloosa Dems in 2017 after the Trump election and immediately got involved working with the communications committee. I soon also filled a vacancy on the TCDEC. I have written press releases for the Party, hosted voter registration at my house in West End, and attended meetings regularly. I am also a founding member of Tuscaloosa Action, a local progressive social media and direct action organization. Many Tuscaloosa Democrats have participated in our work such as the mask drive and local campaigns against racially gerrymandered city council districts.
What is your vision for the TCDP Executive Committee? What do you hope to work on as a committee member? My vision for the TCDEP EC is for a committee that is responsive to the Democratic voting base in the county. Our local county elections should be much closer than they have been but the local party has failed to reach out, engage, organize, and turn out Democratic voters–especially Black voters and young people. We need more young people and more young Black people specifically engaged with our party. We need to be reaching out to local youth organizations in West Tuscaloosa and helping educate the next generation of voters. So, my vision is for a TCDP Executive Committee that doesn’t just show up in West End or Alberta or in Black neighborhoods on election years, but instead one that builds relationships with the community that both make a difference in those communities and empowers them as voters.
What talents do you have to bring to our volunteer efforts? I bring a number of communication skills around media handling, press releases, writing, web design and social media. I also have a skill set involving community organizing, messaging, and direct action. Lastly, I’m a good at organizing, strategic planning, and team building. My work for the party previously and my work through Tuscaloosa Action is evidence of all of these skills and interests.
James Crowder (but listed on the ballot as Jarnes Crowder)
Tell us about yourself and your experience with the Tuscaloosa Co. Democratic Party. I am a lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa and resided primarily within the 4th District, except my time spent in the U.S. Army from 1967-1970. I gave up working for a family-owned business in 1966 for union a job and retired with 47 years split between two union companies. My last employment gave me the opportunity to work with C.O.P.E. and PAC committees and work directly with candidates and elected officials. Elected President of West Alabama Labor Council, AFL-CIO in 2006 and continue to hold that position. West Alabama Labor Council includes ten (10) west central Alabama counties from Fayette to Dallas. Several years ago, to expand on labor’s involvement with politics and the party’s understanding of labor unions, I recommended putting a local labor union official on as Executive Committee – Labor Chair.
What is your vision for the TCDP Executive Committee? What do you hope to work on as a committee member? Transparency and Inclusion, that is the key to successful organization, expansion, and operation the way I see it. We as TCDP Executive Committee members must work together to build a comprehensive Democratic Party across county lines because other county committees see TCDP as one of the best statewide. I plan to do whatever my talents and time permits to help make TCDP Executive Committee transparent, inclusive, and best statewide.
What talents do you have to bring to our volunteer efforts? I have worked with web design since the early 2000s and have provided a web presence for several candidates, organizations, and companies. I continue to build and maintain sites for candidates running for office at no cost to them. I created the website used by TCDP to improve on functionality and appearance just to show the committee what is possible with a little time and money, yes, the site is not free. The TCDP site has multiple sub-domains already set up for any diversity group wishing to make its own presence on the web. To be honest, I think the TCDP Executive Committee should provide whatever resources they can to Democratic candidates running for office, such as web presence. This would not be an additional cost to the committee or the candidate.
Reginald Murray
Paul Wiley Sanders, Sr.
Rush Watson
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