Reported by Mike Hobson
October 22, 2021
The Bibb County Republican Party was treated to visits from guest dignitaries at their regular Thursday night meeting on October 21, 2021. Bibb GOP Chairman Jerry Pow welcomed guest speakers including State GOP Party Chairman John Wahl, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, and State Senator April Weaver.
John Wahl has been in office as Chairman of the State GOP since February 2021. Prior to his election as Chairman, Mr. Wahl served as the ALGOP Senior Vice Chairman, and has been active in Republican Party politics for the last decade. He was a member of Alabama’s Electoral College delegation in 2020, and part of U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville’s transition team. Professionally, Chairman Wahl is a butterfly farmer, and raises butterflies for zoos, botanical gardens, and exhibits across the country. The crowd enjoyed his explanation of the occupation of Lepidopterist, a difficult name to spell that means the study of moths and butterflies and his update on the activities of the state republican party.
Wahl succeeds former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan of Mobile County, who announced last December she would not be seeking a fourth term as chairman.
Secretary of State John Merrill entertained the audience with his update on the activities of the important office that he holds for the proud State of Alabama. He talked at length about election law and election procedures and of course about ever embroiling controversies surrounding the election process. He provided the audience with a copy of his formal Annual Report from the Office of the Secretary of State.
Both John Wahl and Secretary Merrill congratulated Bibb County’s own April Weaver as being the first female to be elected to the Alabama Senate and the first person elected to the Senate from Bibb County in over 30 years.
Merrill spoke to the audience about what his office has done since the infamous 2020 election cycle and about issues that have surrounded the national election process since the 2020 Presidential election. He took questions from the audience about election integrity and answered concerns about any election issues that the audience wanted to express concerns about or discuss in further detail.
Merrill announced the qualifying dates for the 2022 GOP primaries. Qualifying will open on January 4, 2022 and close on January 28.
During his talk about the election process Merrill complimented and held up the Bibb County election officials, including Probate Judge Stephanie Kemmer, Registrar Pat Clark, Circuit Clerk Kayla Cooner and all of the poll workers that turn out for every election date in Bibb for the dedicated and selfless work they perform for the citizens of Bibb.
Merrill talked at length about his recent experiences with the My Pillow owner/executive Mike Lindell concerning his high profile investigation of the 2020 national election. Lindell has made two trips to Alabama to question Secretary Merrill about Alabama’s election procedures. So far, Lindell has gained no traction with issues he has tried to raise about voting procedures in Alabama and has been rebuffed by answers and responses he has received from Merrill’s office.
The entire recording of Merrill’s talk to the Bibb GOP is available on line via The Bibb Voice.
If you want to hear interesting details about Alabama election procedures, the accomplishments of our Secretary of State, and a fun story about Lindell’s visit to Alabama, then go to the link listed below and tune in to the full recording and enjoy it.
