Jeff Coleman joins lawsuit to get on congressional ballot

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WTVY) -Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman wants a federal court to clarify qualifying deadlines in his quest to be on the Republican congressional primary ballot.

His issue stems from conflicting court rulings in response to congressional boundaries redrawn by the Alabama Legislature last year.

First, a three-judge panel ruled on January 24 those boundaries violate the Voting Rights Act.

The judges also pushed the Jan. 28 deadline for congressional candidates to qualify forward to February 11, and demanded lawmakers use that time to come up with a redistricting plan that better reflects Alabama’s racial makeup.

However, the state appealed that ruling, and on February 7, the U.S. Supreme Court declared those new boundaries in compliance with federal law, staying the previous order.

But what the nation’s highest court failed to address is the qualifying deadline and whether it should have reverted to January 28, because of the ruling extending the deadline essentially got overturned.

On February 10---the day before the extended deadline ended---Jeff Coleman filed to run against fellow Republican Barry Moore, the incumbent..

The Alabama Republican Party has neither recognized Coleman’s candidacy nor commented publicly on the dispute, presumably awaiting court guidance on Coleman’s motion filed last Thursday, the day he submitted qualifying papers to the Alabama Republican Party.

Secretary of the State John Merrill, Alabama’s top election official, has his own view on the matter.

He believes the correct deadline is February 7, the day the Supreme Court ruled.

However, Merrill said he will certify all candidates that the state’s political parities submit to him by March 9.

Moore, in Dothan Wednesday to attend a town hall, deflected questions about the controversy.

“We’re not really involved in (qualifying deadlines). We’re just going to run our race. We were elected to do a job and we’re going to continue to do the job,” he said.

Coleman, if allowed on the ballot, would be Moore’s sole opposition in the May 24 primary.

Though Coleman’s candidacy is in question, he is airing a series of television commercials, some during the Super Bowl, promoting himself as a “conservative trucker”.

He owns Coleman American, a nationwide household goods moving company based in Midland City, Alabama.

In 2020, Coleman finished far ahead of six other Republican candidates, capturing 38 percent of the primary vote but his campaign floundered afterwards.

In the pandemic-delayed runoff, Moore won the nomination by 20 points.

Jeff Coleman is not the only one seeking help from the courts as his suit is as an intervention in related case.

Alabama Democrats on Wednesday filed a motion to have the Supreme Court ruling that congressional lines drawn by the legislature should remain intact reversed.

Jennifer Horton, Fox 6 Investigative Reporter, contributed to this report.

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