Etowah County Republican Party Qualifying Opens Today

From the Etowah County Republican Party

Candidate qualifying with the Republican Party will begin Monday, January 5th at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until Friday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m. The Alabama Republican Party website www.algop.org provides information, forms and website links for navigating through the candidate qualification and reporting process.        For those of you who will be qualifying, please refer to the Secretary of State and ALGOP websites to ensure that you have met all the requirements. The Candidate Filing Guidelines is from the Alabama Secretary of State's Office and provides important information about forming a Principal Campaign Committee and filing requirements for FCPA (Fair Campaign Practices Act). You can find additional information at https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/candidates/candidate-resources.

Please be aware that candidates are required to file FCPA forms if you raise or spend $1000 which includes expenditures paid using candidate funds. Candidates are also required to file electronically if you raise or spend more than $5,000.      The Etowah County Republican Party is responsible for collecting "qualifying fees" from local candidates as well as certifying candidates through the Election Committee and the Executive Committee. There are three categories of candidates, and each group has different requirements regarding qualifying.

State-wide Candidates, State House and Senate Candidates

The only method for qualifying is online. Follow this link to fill out the form and pay the fees online: https://algop.org. The entire fee is to be paid online to the State Party. The local party will not receive any of these funds.

ALGOP State Executive Committee Seats

There are four (4) available elected seats for Etowah County Republican Party on the State Executive Committee of the Republican Party. Those seats are listed on the primary ballot and will be for the term of 2026-2030. The qualifying fee is $50 and will be paid to the State Party. The qualifying for those seats is done through the State Party and is available online at https://algop.org. You must reside within Etowah County, pay the qualifying fee of $50, an annual fee of $180 for each of the four years of the seated term and attend bi-annual meetings in winter and summer which rotate between Montgomery and Birmingham.

Local Races- Sheriff, County Commissioner, Coroner, County Board of Ed.

As per the resolution passed at our last meeting, qualification documents and payments for qualification fees should be delivered to Misty Sosebee-Ledbetter. The only method for qualifying is to fill out the paper qualifying form. I have attached a copy of the form to this email. There will also be forms available per request by email at ecrepublicancommittee@gmail.com; telephone Misty at 256-613-4360 or pick up in person at the Etowah County Republican Executive Committee Meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. at Rainbow City Community Center. As per the resolution "Regarding the 2026 Primary Election in Etowah County" passed at our last meeting, the qualifying fee has been set at "2% of the annual salary applicable to the office." The entire fee is to be paid to the Etowah County Republican Party.

Etowah County Republican Executive Committee Seats

All of the seats on the Etowah County Republican Executive Committee are up for election during the Republican primary on May 19. Anyone who would like to remain on the committee or take a position on the committee will need to qualify. The seats will be for the 2022-2026 term. Newly elected members will take their position immediately after the primary election is certified. There are sixty-eight (68) seats total, comprised of eight (8) seats in each county commission district and twenty (20) county at-large seats. The qualification fee for the executive committee seats is $25 to be paid to the Etowah County Republican Executive Committee. You will need to complete a qualification form and pay the qualifying fee during the qualification period that ends on Friday, January 28 at 5:00 p.m. I have attached a form to this email.

This information is provided to you under the capacity of my position of Vice-Chair of Elections with the Etowah County Republican Executive Committee, and not in any professional or legal capacity. The Alabama Republican Party recommends that you confer with legal counsel to ensure correct compliance with all election laws.     Should you have any questions concerning the 2026 qualifying period for the Etowah County Republican party, please contact Misty at 256-613-4360 by phone or text or by email at ecrepublicancommittee@gmail.com.