Folsom calls Jones victory a step in right direction for Alabama

Published 5:15 am Wednesday, December 13, 2017

By Staff reports

U.S. Senate candidate Doug Jones is greeted by former Alabama first lady Marsha Folsom, right, at a campaign event on December 2017 at Stone Bridge Farms in Cullman. Lilly Ledbetter is seen at left. Congress passed a fair pay act in Ledbetter's name in 2009.

The uphill road to victory for Democrat Doug Jones will be analyzed closely, but former Alabama first lady and Cullman resident Marsha Folsom believes there was a factor the polls didn’t detect.

“I knew it was going to be a nail biter,” Folsom said in a telephone interview with The Times Tuesday night, “but I thought the get-out-the-vote campaign had a huge impact. It was brilliant and it’s something the polls can’t take into account.”

Jones worked to draw support in heavily populated areas of Alabama, urging black voters to come to the polls and appealing to frustrated Republicans who were troubled by Roy Moore’s record in office and allegations of sexual misconduct.

Among the population centers swinging over to Jones was Madison County, where Moore has won in other races.

“I think Sen. (Richard) Shelby helped a lot in Madison County with what he did, not supporting Moore,” Folsom said. “A lot of defense contractors are big supporters of Sen. Shelby and that was a factor. That the footnote in history.”

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Folsom, whose husband Jim Folsom Jr. served as governor and landed Mercedes as a major industry in Alabama, campaigned for Jones and was one of the speakers during his visit to Cullman.

“I know that Doug is a builder; he wants to build the party,” Folsom said. “He has only two years before the seat is up for election again, so the organizational efforts will be important. That’s part of why he won.”

Folsom said the win by Jones doesn’t mean the state will suddenly turn to the Democratic Party, but she said it opens the door for a comeback.

“I think this win is a step in the right direction. It helps the image of Alabama, because we’ve taken some steps forward at times and then have been known to take three steps back,” she said. “It’s a step. We saw people become energized about the election and we’ve elected a person who can bring people together and represent the interests and needs of Alabama well in Washington.”

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