Brutal Alabama GOP race marked by attack ads, ‘dark money’ claims heats up in final stretch

The high-stakes Republican battle for Alabama attorney general has intensified as the race heads toward a decisive June 16 runoff. With over $8 million poured into the primary, Katherine Robertson and Jay Mitchell are showing no signs of backing down from the aggressive tactics that defined the initial stage of the campaign.

Primary Results and the Path Forward

Robertson, currently serving as chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall, led Tuesday’s primary by securing 40.5% of the vote. Mitchell, who stepped down from the Alabama Supreme Court to pursue the office, followed with 34.4%. The two candidates edged out Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, who finished with 25%.

The eventual winner of the Republican nomination will advance to the general election on Nov. 3 to square off against Democrat Jeff McLaughlin, a Guntersville lawyer who ran unopposed in the primary. McLaughlin, who previously served nearly a decade in the Alabama House of Representatives before leaving office in 2010, is seeking to flip the seat for his party.

A Campaign Defined by Hostility

Both Robertson and Mitchell have faced a barrage of attack ads, each characterizing their opponent's record as a series of distortions. One notable clash occurred when Robertson labeled Mitchell a “WOKE lawyer lobbyist for a Muslim country.” Mitchell dismissed the ad as a fabrication, noting that a 2005 meeting involving his law firm was an effort to assist a political prisoner in Uzbekistan.

Mitchell responded with his own fire, including a controversial ad that referenced the phrase “Allahu Akbar” while pledging to take a hardline stance against extremism. Muslim advocacy groups in Alabama have condemned such messaging, labeling it both dangerous and inaccurate.

Controversy Over Policing and Prosecution

The candidates have also clashed over the prosecution of former Montgomery Police Officer Cody Smith. Mitchell criticized the attorney general’s office—and by extension, Robertson—for their handling of the case, which saw Smith plead guilty to manslaughter in 2019 following the fatal shooting of Gregory Gunn. While Marshall oversaw a plea deal that resulted in an early release for Smith, he labeled Mitchell’s attacks as “deceptive campaign fodder.”

Robertson defended the office’s actions in a statement provided to Alabama Daily News, asserting that the office acted within its jurisdiction to support the former officer.

The 'Dark Money' Debate

A major friction point in the runoff has been Mitchell’s focus on large campaign contributions linked to non-disclosed donors. Mitchell claims that organizations like First Principles Action, which contributed $1.1 million to the Robertson camp, undermine transparency. Robertson maintains that these contributions are consistent with traditional PAC funding.

Candidate Backgrounds

The winner of the race will succeed Steve Marshall, who has held the office since his appointment in 2017. Robertson, an Auburn and University of Alabama Law graduate, previously served under U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions. Mitchell, a University of Virginia Law graduate and former basketball champion at Birmingham-Southern, has served on the Alabama Supreme Court since 2018.