ROBERTSDALE -- As this year's primary election looms, the Baldwin County Farmers Federation held a meet and greet on Monday, April 13, featuring both statewide and local candidates whom the organization has endorsed.
The candidates in attendance included Baldwin County Commission candidates Angelo Fermo (District 2), Kevin Brock (District 3) and Tater Harris (District 4), as well as state candidates Terry Waters (Senate District 22), Joe Freeman (House District 95) and Danielle Duggar (House District 96). All are running on the Republican ballot.
The group also invited Federation-endorsed candidates such as Steve Marshall, current Alabama attorney general who is running for the state's U.S. Senate seat; Jerry Carl, former congressman who is running for his old District 1 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives that has been redistricted; Corey Hill, who is running for the state's agriculture and industries commissioner position; and Caroleene Dobson, who is running for secretary of state; and Katherine Robertson, who is running for the attorney general position.
"We endorsed them because they have the same values that we have as far as our grassroots organization," said Hope Cassebaum, Federation president and Alabama Farmers Federation Southwest vice president. "We pray at every meeting, we say the Pledge of Allegiance, and they just have the same core values that we have."
BALDWIN COUNTY COMMISSION
Angelo Fermo, who unsuccessfully ran for the Alabama House District 64 seat in 2022, said he decided to get back into politics because he and others determined the community needs good people, citing his experience working as a special agent for the Department of Homeland Security.
"I am one of those people that like to go and knock on doors and cause problems, and if you have an issue, I'm going to go knock on that door until somebody tells me, 'There's absolutely nothing you can do anymore, Angelo,'" he said.
Kevin Brock, who was born and raised in Baldwin County, vowed to slow down development and protect local farmers, many of whom were in attendance on Monday night.
"I grew up seeing these faces, and I know who built this county," Brock said. "The farmers built this county, and it's very important. I want my grandchildren to be able to grow up in a county that resembles something that I grew up in. That's changing fast."
Tater Harris, owner and operator of Gulf Coast Rental Company who has lived in Baldwin County for the past 15 years, cited his business experience as well as his previous experience working in construction, noting how every project they went through, they worked together as a team.
"We got through our projects by working together as a team, and we'll have to do that here in the county with our municipal leaders, our state legislators and the others in the county," Harris said. "We can't do nothing by ourselves, so we're going to have to work together, and I want to bring some of that to Baldwin County where we work together through our county."
STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Joe Freeman, who cited his experience in law enforcement and as a financial adviser, said he will fight to lower the cost of living for families, support small businesses and "stand for our conservative values" if elected.
"This race is not about politics," Freeman said. "It's about whether we want to continue down the same path or choose a new direction. I'm not a career politician. I'm someone who understands your challenges, shares your values and is ready to fight for you. I don't answer to special interests. I answer to you, and if you give me the opportunity to serve, I will go to work day one to lower costs, support businesses, to protect our community and stand up for what's right."
Danielle Duggar, a Spanish Fort resident, said she is running because she doesn't "feel we have good conservative representation in the House," saying she is "an advocate for keeping taxes low, for protecting parental rights, for protecting what I call medical freedom," saying people should have a right to decline taking a vaccine.
"If you want someone who's going to fight for our Second Amendment rights, our students, our parents and our community, I'm your girl," Duggar said.
Terry Waters, a Robertsdale farmer and Army veteran, said his five grandchildren are one of the biggest reasons he is running, also voicing support for a variety of platforms, including mental health services, supporting local agriculture, curbing illegal immigration while building on H2A and H2B programs and protecting Second Amendment rights.
"We're losing about 8% of our farms a year," Waters said. "That's tragic, and part of that is, I think, [farming] is the only business I know where everything that you buy is at retail and everything you sell is wholesale. I know there's people in this room that know a lot more about it than I do, but if we're not really careful, we're going to be looking at other countries for our food and that's dangerous. That's very dangerous."
According to U.S. Census of Agriculture data from 2024, Alabama's farm numbers shrunk 8% over the period between 2017 to 2022.
STATEWIDE POSITIONS
Caroleene Dobson, who is running for secretary of state, talked about coming from a family of farmers in Alabama, saying "all aspects of my family and lineage have been rooted in agriculture." Dobson pledged to have election integrity across the state if elected.
"The one thing that we all share is that none of us can get elected without secure elections," Dobson said."You can have good people to run. You can have folks like yourselves who take time. You don't have to come out and be an educated and informed voter,but unless we have secure elections,our kids can't grow up in the same country that we did,and so as your next secretary of state,I pledge to project the process.," she said.
Dobson previously ran for the U.S. House District 2 seat in 2024 as the Republican nominee, where she lost to Democrat nominee Shomari Figures.
Current Secretary of State Wes Allen, who is running for lieutenant governor,shared similar comments about securing elections,adding“no one in this race for lieutenant governor can match my conservative record.”
“It’s about our families,it’s about these farms,it’s about the direction we’re heading as a state,and I want to make sure I’m part of that leadership team to help Coach [Tommy] Tuberville [a current U.S. senator who is running for governor] be successful,but make sure that we protect Alabama,makesure we’re goingto be prosperous,makesurethatwekeepAlabamaAlabama,” Allensaid.
Katherine Robertson, who has served as chief counsel to current Attorney General Steve Marshall, said there is "nobody that knows" the attorney general's office better than her as she seeks to replace Marshall in the upcoming midterms, urging voters to pay attention to the race.
"I really think having been behind the scenes for all these years, I really think it's the most important race on this ballot," Robertson said. "I really do, and that's not to take away from the other candidates, but you're talking about an office that's going to touch on crime and punishment and public safety and every other value that Alabamians hold because it is the AG's office that's going to be that last line of defense."
Corey Hill, who is currently serving as mayor of Douglas located in Marshall County talked about his passion for the job adding his two biggest priorities if elected would be food safety increasing farmer profitability.
"Wes Allen doesn't want me to say this,but on the ballot,it should be governor,[agriculture] commissioner,lieutenant governor&everybody else," Hill said."It's that important.It affects you,it affects everybody differently,but it affects everybody in this room every single day of your life."
Jerry Carl, who served as the U.S. District 1 representative from 2021 to 2025,say he has "spent a lifetime in South Alabama,"talking about his previous experience working in business as well as for the Mobile County Commission;also citing his previous tenure Washington,D.C.;working farmers.
"You look at Mobile everybody says,'Oh,your just exploding everything's happening wonderfully port.'That was 20 years ago started planting seeds," Carl said."That was 20 years ago started working team effort;my team gonna farm federation;people room telling farm federation need when need what need get out."
Steve Marshall, who is running for Tuberville's U.S. Senate seat,talked about his experience serving as district attorney Marshall County being state's attorney general almost ten years,vowing same advocate U.S.Senate was serving state.
"I'm an Atmore kid," Marshall said."I don't claim be smartest guy around,but I do know when people represent tell need responsibility able respond;I think one reasons able secure endorsement federation because what you've had chance see me just somebody sort takes tough issue;that's able talk facing;but truly being able deliver results people opportunity able represent."
The primary election will take place on Tuesday, May 19.
For a complete list of candidates and more voter information including Q&As from candidates find the Gulf Coast Media Voter's Guide inserted into our newspapers.