MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton has been elected chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, winning a decisive leadership vote as Democrats seek to rebuild their statewide organization ahead of the November general election.
Members of the State Democratic Executive Committee elected Singleton during the party’s organizational meeting in Montgomery on Saturday, Aug. 8. The Greensboro Democrat defeated incumbent Chairman Randy Kelley 165–62, receiving 72.7 percent of the votes cast. Kelley, a Huntsville pastor elected chairman in 2022, received 27.3 percent.
The result placed one of Alabama’s most experienced Democratic legislators at the head of a party that has struggled for years with internal divisions, fundraising challenges and concerns about the support available to candidates. Singleton will lead the state party for the next four years while continuing to represent Senate District 24 and serve as the Senate’s Democratic leader.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels of Huntsville nominated Singleton and urged Democrats to unite after the contest. Daniels said the party needs leadership capable of raising money and helping candidates compete throughout Alabama. His role in Singleton’s nomination gives North Alabama a meaningful connection to the leadership change.
Following his victory, Singleton outlined a 90-day plan centered on three goals: listening, building and mobilizing. He pledged to travel to all 67 counties, meet with Democrats and strengthen the party’s ability to organize, communicate and raise money before voters return to the polls in November.
Singleton told committee members that the party must build from the ground up, embrace new technology and ensure that its constituencies are heard. He specifically acknowledged women and the party’s Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ and youth members while calling for a more inclusive organization.
“I want you to know that I hear you, I see you,” Singleton said before the vote, according to the Alabama Reflector. He later said frustration over the state party’s limited support for Democratic legislators and candidates helped motivate him to seek the chairmanship.
The leadership change comes during an election year in which Alabama Democrats are attempting to defend legislative seats, support former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones in the governor’s race and improve the party’s competitiveness in a state where Republicans control every statewide elected office and hold supermajorities in the Legislature.
Singleton’s election should not be confused with leadership of the Alabama Democratic Conference. The ADC is an influential Black political organization long led by civil rights veteran Joe Reed. Singleton was elected chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, commonly abbreviated ADP. The State Democratic Executive Committee is the party’s governing body and conducted Saturday’s election.
The distinction matters because Reed and the ADC have exercised considerable influence in Democratic Party affairs. Kelley entered the contest with Reed’s support, while Singleton presented himself as a coalition builder who said he was not running against any faction. The lopsided vote nevertheless demonstrated broad demand among committee members for a change in direction.
Singleton has represented Senate District 24 since 2005 after previously serving in the Alabama House of Representatives. His district includes Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo and Sumter counties and portions of Tuscaloosa County, according to the Alabama Legislature. His long legislative tenure has made him a prominent Democratic voice during debates in a Republican-controlled State House.
The committee also elected Caroline Self as vice chair. Together, the new leadership team faces immediate tests: improving communication with county organizations, recruiting and financing credible candidates, restoring trust among party factions and turning Singleton’s statewide listening tour into measurable support at the ballot box.
Caroline Self, a Florence native and attorney, was elected vice chair after defeating Colbert County Commissioner Tori Bailey 139–70, receiving 66.5 percent of the vote. An accomplished reality-television executive producer and editor, Self’s credits include The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Manzo’d with Children and Blood, Sweat & Heels. She has applied that experience to Democratic campaign videos and digital outreach.
Singleton’s decisive victory gives him a mandate, but rebuilding the party will require sustained fundraising, modern voter outreach and cooperation among Democrats with differing strategies.
The election settled the leadership contest. Whether the new chairman can translate unity inside the meeting room into victories across Alabama will be the next measure of Singleton’s leadership.
