By Chris Peeks November 28, 2023
I had the pleasure of interviewing Baldwin County GOP Chairman Patrick McWilliams recently. We discussed various topics—everything from Congressional redistricting to Second Amendment rights and marijuana legalization. I came away highly impressed with the Chairman.
For starters, his style was very different in how he delivered his answers.. Patrick is an amiable man who spoke directly and did not hesitate to give his strong opinions yet with a polite tone. One can quickly tell his answers were very well thought out.
He explained how the redistricting was tantamount to "racial Gerry Mandering" that he described as "ridiculous." He pointed out that the district, which stretches from the Georgia to the Mississippi line, is no longer a ''community of interest.' East Alabama is a military and agriculture-based economy, while tourism and manufacturing produced West Alabama's financial output. No longer a community district, the Second Is now an "opportunity district" for minorities. It's being a ploy by the Democrats to steal a House seat.
Though he believes in most Republican ideas, he does not toe the company line and is not worried about letting it be known. I respect that. The Chairman has the type of pragmatic thinking sorely missed in the Republican party. Sorry, not sorry, the party needs to move back to the center.
The Chairman believes Alabama needs to "catch up to the times" and "we are missing the boat'" losing revenue from sin taxes on illegal things. And I couldn't agree with him more. We both believe gambling and marijuana should be legalized. While many Republicans would never dare mention support for those issues, Patrick didn't hesitate
to articulate his approval. These are just a few of the issues we covered.
McWilliams is missing his calling, and the state is missing out. A well-spoken visionary seeking to move forward rather than remain stuck in the past, he does not need to be a party chair. He, or rather we, need him in office. To hear the rest of the interview, click on the link below.
Chris Peeks
Reporter and Columnist
Alabama Political Contributor