The Ball is Now in Singleton’s Hands!

Guest Opinion by Robert Shepherd

The ball is now in the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) Chairman Senator Bobby Singleton's hands!

On August 9, 2025, Perry County Commissioner Albert Fitzgerald Turner posted on his Official Facebook page under the title "You are either at the table or on the menu. The Chairman is at the table writing the menu."

In this post, he openly endorsed Alabama Republican nominee for Governor, Tommy Tuberville, with statements such as "This will be the next Governor of Alabama. I can think of hundreds of things Chairman Turner could have talked about. One thing I believe he talked about was the support for the West Alabama Highway and the data centers coming to bring jobs and revenue to Perry County and other Black Belt counties. SM"

He also said, "Like it or not, he will be the next Governor, and like it or not, he will be making decisions that affect people Chairman Turner cares deeply about.  Like it or not as long as Chairman Turner knows who he is and what he’s about a conversation with the devil can’t change him."

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CzZH1hjtr/ 

This post is a clear endorsement by a Democratic elected official, with over 26 years as an incumbent, of the Republican nominee, Tommy Tuberville.

This appears to be a clear violation of Article I, Section 3 of the SDEC Bylaws.

The rules say that the State Democratic Executive Committee has the power to oversee Democratic Party matters throughout Alabama. The Committee also has the power to punish people who break Party rules or fail to support the Democratic Party.

Those punishments can include removing someone from a Party position, taking away a Party nomination, taking away certain Party privileges, or removing someone from the Committee.

In simple terms, supporting the Democratic Party and its nominees is not just something Party members are encouraged to do. It is a rule that the Party can enforce.

The Bylaws also say that people who vote in the Democratic primary agree to accept the results of that primary and support the Democratic nominees in the general election.

The Bylaws further state that the State Chair, Senator Bobby Singleton, is the main officer of the State Committee. As State Chair, he has the authority and responsibility to make sure the Party's rules are followed.

On August 31, 2026, I submitted a Formal Complaint and Request for Enforcement of Party Fealty Against Albert Fitzgerald Turner to the Chairman Senator Bobby Singleton and to the SDEC Contest Committee Chairman, Attorney Ben Harris on August 31, 2026, at 7:14 pm Central Standard Time.

In the email, I informed the SDEC Chairman and members that I will be sending a certified copy via mail on September 1, 2026, and will follow up with an email confirming that it was mailed.

The Democratic Party, the people of Perry County, and the surrounding Blackbelt communities are seeking to know whether Chairman Senator Bobby Singleton will take swift action to address this clear violation of the SDEC Party Fealty rule.

Please see the links below for the documentation of this formal complaint.

1. Formal Complaint and Request for Enforcement of Party Fealty Against Albert Fitzgerald Turner 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1orrpeoyt5PnJJtMMRdSMFmQKqK5wXReL/view?usp=drivesdk 

2. Exhibit A Screenshot 1 ( August 25, 2025, Facebook Post; August 10, 2026, Facebook Post)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AYUkRio73eKuyzT_mWSSVfSsFYpxlLVi/view?usp=drivesdk 

3. Exhibit A Screenshot 2 ( August 25, 2025, Facebook Post; August 10, 2026, Facebook Post)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11RU0DSduTgUHCT7vcbpcAH_zfFgjRoyi/view?usp=drivesdk 

4. Exhibit A Screenshot 3 ( August 25, 2025, Facebook Post; August 10, 2026, Facebook Post).jpg

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p0NWNaNgUcS3JEZ1bxAfIv50McwHBTyY/view?usp=drivesdk 

5. Exhibit D (2026 General Election State Certification of Democratic Candidates)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iVS_iYqsfluNlmA6RtaXb4WubRMsToYv/view?usp=drivesdk 

#Educate2Elevate334 #Perrycountyal #accountability #transparency #progressoverpolitics #ShowTheReceipts

This opinion piece originally appeared on Facebook. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author.

Robert L. Shepherd is a retired Army officer, combat veteran, leadership consultant, independent investigative journalist, and community activist from Uniontown, Alabama.

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