Alabama
Alabama Democratic Party chairman claims DNC didn’t OK his convention delegates because he’s Black
Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley on Monday night released a letter he sent to the head of the Democratic National Committee, claiming racism was to blame for why his preferred convention delegates weren’t approved by the national organization.
In the letter, Kelley also claimed former Sen. Doug Jones “orchestrated” a “plot to prevent Blacks from electing delegates of their choosing to the DNC.”
Jones could not immediately be reached for comment.
Jones earlier told AL.com he wasn’t involved in Biden’s initial decision to deny a number of delegates but helped the campaign decide who should serve as replacement delegates.
“The Alabama Democratic Party (ADP) brings this petition only because it has no choice. Its existence and future progress are at stake. This is a race case,” Kelley wrote in an Aug. 2 letter to Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison, who like Kelley is Black.
The letter, Kelley wrote, served as a challenge to the DNC’s refusal to seat the 36 party convention delegates chosen by Kelley and other members of the state party’s executive committee.
Efforts to reach the DNC for comment were not immediately successful.
Before President Biden dropped out of the race, his campaign approved a list of delegates that was markedly different from the list elected by the state’s democratic party.
Of the 34 district delegates, the Biden campaign only approved 13 names.
The campaign also approved five of the nine Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEO) positions on the state party’s list, two of the 11 at-large delegates, and one of four alternates, according to lists provided by the Alabama Democratic Party.
The state party was supposed to elect PLEO, at-large and alternate delegates on June 8. However, the party failed to reach a quorum on their meeting that day, so the state’s delegation selected those positions, according to a statement by the DNC.
In the event a delegate was not approved, the Biden campaign selected a replacement. District-level delegates selected by the campaign were on the primary ballots and voted on in March.
Kelley said he brought the challenge because the DNC “enabled private individuals to deny Blacks in Alabama the right to vote in the Democratic primary” on March 5.
Kelley was referring to Jones, who he claimed was among the Democrats “who do not want Blacks to elect delegates of their choosing” and alleged Jones appointed the DNC-approved delegates.
Meanwhile, Harrison told Kelley in a letter this month that the state party missed the deadline to challenge the delegates or to select its delegates after the party’s executive committee failed to reach a quorum.
In the letter, obtained by AL.com, the DNC chairman urged Kelley to “[r]efrain from any further miscommunication or misinformation to convention participants.”
Friction between the Alabama Democratic Party and the national party is not new. Five years ago, Jones, then in the Senate and backed by the DNC, joined with a faction of the state party to approve new by-laws and replace longtime Chairman Nancy Worley, a Reed ally, with state Rep. Chris England.
Control flipped back in 2022 when the State Democratic Executive Committee elected Kelley as chairman with the backing of Reed and the Alabama Democratic Conference.
Undeterred by Harrison’s letter, Kelley issued a news release and text of his challenge to the DNC on Monday night.
He claimed the Alabama party’s choices are being neglected because the state party and state executive committee are majority black.
“Alabama asks .. that it be respected and treated right — with the same rights and respect as you would want for your state,” Kelley wrote. “Because we have a Black chair and a Black majority in the state of Alabama, we still expect to be treated fairly. Alabama has ENDURED [emphasis original] enough!”
Alabama
Alabama Trending Towards Securing Commitment from Elite Recruit
Nothing is set in stone just yet, but it’s looking like Alabama is going to build on its trenches.
According to On3 / Rivals’ National Recruiting Reporter Sam Spiegelman, the Crimson Tide are trending toward receiving a commitment from four-star 2027 interior offensive lineman Ismael Camara.
Should Alabama nab the talented recruit out of Gilmer, TX, it would be the second high-ranked interior lineman of the 2027 class.
Earlier this season, the Crimson Tide had secured a commitment from Jatori Williams, the four-star lineman out of Phenix City, AL, and one who is the fifth ranked player at his position in the country.
Camara spoke with Spiegelman and revealed that he, along with 20 other recruits will be in Tuscaloosa for the LSU game – a game that holds such importance.
Not only that, he spoke on the relationship that he holds with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, and how that relationship resonates with him.
“Coach Kap told me two things when we first talked — he has the best job in the world and that all the things he wants from his players are passion, a good attitude, maximum effort, being a good teammate, being prepared and available, and being coachable. That requires zero talent.”
He then went on to say how much the persistence in maintaining that relationship is something that he will always hold onto.
“I appreciate him investing in me like that, and I am trying to get better to live up to the standard at ‘Bama.”
The “Standard” is a real thing, and it’s not something that the brass take lightly. Nick Saban spent 17 seasons implementing a culture of greatness and players that have the dog in them to be great.
So Kalen DeBoer and his staff don’t want to lose sight of it. It may have been in question for a little, but for the time being, what you’re seeing is what you’re getting.
But the “Standard” is something that means a lot to Camara too, and it’s what has set apart Alabama from other schools.
“When we got into the facility and saw all the nattys, the SEC championships and Heisman Trophies, I really had the butterflies,” Camara said. “The way they treated each other and the way they treated me — it was not just an honor for me to be there, it was an honor for them to be there. They practiced like that. They operated like that. They hung together like that. That was when I really started to understand what makes Alabama ‘Bama,’”
Aside from it being a big game on the schedule, it’s a big game for the coaches take make sure the people they’re bringing in for the future know that the staff’s future is just the beginning for these young men.
Alabama
Alabama man charged with threatening synagogues, mosques
A Needham, Alabama man has been charged by federal prosecutors with making threats to rabbis and imams across the South.
Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker faces a charge of an interstate communications threat after investigators say he made multiple threatening calls and messages to Jewish and Muslim religious leaders.
The threats were made to rabbis in Alabama and Louisiana, an imam in Georgia, a church in North Carolina and more.
According to court documents, agents discovered multiple firearms in Shoemaker’s home as well as a suitcase containing ammunition and papers listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of religious leaders and other prominent figures.
Shoemaker told agents he did not intend to carry out an attack, but engage in “psychological warfare.”
An FBI agent attested that Shoemaker came to the department’s attention after making a series of threats including to a Mountain Brook rabbi earlier this month.
“I want you to die because you want the death of us,” Shoemaker said during one call. “You want the West to die off.”
The FBI agent also noted a 2024 threat from Shoemaker to an Islamic center in Louisiana, and a threatening message to a Georgia imam earlier this year.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama — and frontrunner for Alabama’s next governor — has recently drawn attention to the Muslim community, calling “radical Islam and Sharia Law … the greatest national security threat facing the United States.”
He also called Islam “fundamentally incompatible with our Western values.”
“So, wake up America. The Quran instructs Islamists to fight Jews and Christians, along with anyone else who doesn’t believe in Allah,” Tuberville said. “Simply put, Radical Islam teaches that it is righteous to kill Christians—[that] it’s righteous. There is no peaceful coexistence with this type of people. None.”
Alabama
How to Watch Alabama vs North Dakota: Live Stream NCAA College Basketball, TV Channel
The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in this college basketball matchup on Monday at Coleman Coliseum, and you can catch all the action with ESPN Unlimited.
How to Watch Alabama vs North Dakota
- Date: Monday, November 3, 2025
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Channel: SEC Network+
- Stream: ESPN Unlimited (watch now)
The Alabama Crimson Tide tip off the 2025‑26 season with plenty of momentum and transition under coach Nate Oats. After making a deep NCAA Tournament run last year, the Tide reload with young lead guard Labaron Philon Jr. stepping into a starring role and rising forward Keitenn Bristow bringing hype on the front line. Alabama’s roster also adds size and versatility through transfers like Noah Williamson, while returning shooters and athletes across the lineup support Oats’ up‑tempo, high‑spacing system. With their core freshened and expectations still high in the SEC, the key question is: can they take the next step and turn deep-tournament potential into a title-contending run?
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks enter the 2025‑26 season with a blend of rebuilding and hope under seventh‑year head coach Paul Sather. Fresh off a 12‑21 season (5‑11 in the Summit League), they’ll lean heavily on senior guard Eli King for leadership while integrating seven newcomers into the rotation. The schedule opens with a tough road game at Alabama Crimson Tide, setting the tone early for a season shaped by growth more than expectation. With only one returning starter, chemistry will take time—but if the freshmen acclimate and the Hawks tighten defensively, they could surprise in Summit League play.
This is a great college basketball matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
Live stream Alabama vs North Dakota on SEC Network+ with ESPN Unlimited: Start your subscription now!
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