Alex Chaney

The Cullman County Republican Party keeps getting younger — at least at the top.

At a recent meeting for its executive committee, the local GOP elected a pair of twenty-somethings to the organization’s top two posts: Waid Harbison, who will serve as the party chairman, and Alex Chaney, who’ll serve as vice chair.

For Harbison, the adjustment shouldn’t be that great — he just ended a two-year term as vice chair. Still, he said, the local party will face plenty of challenges during his term, ensuring he and Chaney will need to remain sharp to stay abreast of it all.

“We will be having some more difficult elections in 2018, including offices for the state legislature, county commissioners, and serval other local judges and positions that will be critical,” said Harbison.

“The party is looking ahead and preparing for these elections, as well as supporting our current incumbent Republican officials. My goal is to get the local party more active in the off-election years; to keep citizens informed about their local leaders; ongoing issues related to the party, and other projects that will benefit the party — and the community — outside of the elections.”

Chaney may be new to a leadership role within the party, but said he believes his youthfulness can be an asset as party leaders look to recruit candidates that appeal not only to longtime voters, but to the next generation of local Republicans as well.

“Republican success in so many recent elections is testament to a broad appreciation of our party’s fight to promote God and County, life, and the rights Americans enjoy under the United States Constitution,” he said.

“I particularly want to engage and help educate younger voters about these important issues. I believe that will be a big key to identifying good conservative candidates who’ll work to serve and improve this county and state — for decades to come.”

Outgoing GOP chair Kelly Duke — who also brought a measure of youthfulness to the position during his term — said the local party’s trend toward younger leadership is confluence of party strategy and the de facto popularity Republicans enjoy in conservative areas like Cullman.

“It’s kind of both of those things,” he said. “The election of Waid and Alex just kind of happened on its own, but we are very conscious of the importance of involving younger people in the party.

“I think that, in Cullman in general, most everybody has more conservative values. And that helps to bring a lot more people, including young people, over to our side. and it brings a lot omore people to our side of it. I was really happy with the way that played out this time; I think all of us [on the executive committee] were.”

Harbison and Chaney were elected to two-year terms, along with Steve Cummings (secretary) and Tommy Warhurst (treasurer), each of whom the committee re-elected.

 

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.