1 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers talks with Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Michelle Hawkins, left, and Tracy Thornton, the chamber's director of membership and marketing, at a chamber luncheon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
2 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers, right, with Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
3 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers talks with Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce officials and Mayor Ashley Curry at the chamber luncheon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
4 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers was the keynote speaker at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce lunhceon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
5 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers holds a copy of the book he wrote about state Sen. Jabo Wagooner at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce lunhceon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
6 of 6
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Alabama political commentator Steve Flowers holds a copy of the book he wrote about state Sen. Jabo Wagooner at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce lunhceon at Vestavia Country Club in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Alabama won’t be a big factor in the U.S. presidential election next month because it’s so solidly Republican, political commentator Steve Flowers told the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
Flowers, a former state legislator who now writes a weekly political column that runs in 60 newspapers across the state, shared his reflections on Alabama’s political scene and the upcoming election cycle in a luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club.
He shared stories from his decades-long career in politics, offering historical context and predictions for the state and nation’s future.
Regarding this year’s presidential election, “the whole focus will be ... in seven states,” Flowers said, noting that the electoral college system makes only a handful of states critical in deciding the outcome. He predicts Pennsylvania likely will go Democratic, while Georgia and North Carolina will remain Republican strongholds.
He shared his belief that regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, the U.S. Senate likely will shift to Republican control, highlighting the significance of upcoming elections for shaping the nation’s political future.
As for Alabama politics, the “big year” won’t come until 2026 when voters will decide on the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 140 legislative seats, Flowers said. “We’ll have a governor’s race, which will be wide open,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Flowers emphasized the importance of voter engagement and awareness, noting that it doesn’t matter whom people support if they don’t go to the polls and vote.
Flowers provided a historical perspective on Alabama’s political evolution, particularly focusing on the pivotal 1964 election.
“In 1964, every officeholder in Alabama was a Democrat … but the South voted 80% for Barry Goldwater,” Flowers explained, pointing out the shift in party alignment that marked Alabama’s transition to a Republican stronghold. He described how Lyndon Johnson’s passage of the Civil Rights Act angered many in the Deep South, leading to the political realignment that has persisted to this day.
Flowers also took time to recognize several prominent local figures, including Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry, City Councilman George Pierce, state Sen. Jabo Waggoner and former Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield.
He spoke warmly of his friendship with Waggoner, a long-serving state senator whose biography Flowers recently completed. Flowers read the foreword he penned in the new book, ‘Jabo Waggoner: An Alabama Political Legend,’ followed by kind sentiments.
“Jabo Waggoner has not only been the greatest state senator y’all ever had,” he said, referencing that Waggoner is from Vestavia Hills and represents parts of Jefferson and Shelby counties. “He’s the greatest state senator in Alabama history.”
Flowers is widely regarded as Alabama’s most-read political columnist, making a career of offering straightforward insight into the state’s political scene, blending his political experience with sharp contemporary analysis.
Steve Flowers began his political career at the age of 12, working as a page in the state Legislature. He went on to represent Pike County in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1982 to 1998 as a Democrat.
“I served 16 years in the House in my home county of Pike,” Flowers said, recalling the unique challenges faced by both urban and rural legislators. Being from a rural area, “I got every phone call there was,” he said, illustrating the demanding nature of his role.
Now, his weekly syndicated column, “Inside the Statehouse,” runs in newspapers with more than 400,000 readers. Beyond his columns, he is a frequent presence on Alabama radio and a sought-after speaker at civic events, universities and political gatherings. He told the Vestavia chamber he has given more than 40 speeches over the last few months.