When a principled stand gets in the way of effective campaigning

By: Brian Lyman

Outlets: Alabama Reflector

Published: August 17, 2026

Words: 880

Last Updated: 1 day, 8 hours ago

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People who claim to hate politics should love how Jeff McLaughlin has pursued elected office.

In his near-decade in the Alabama House of Representatives, the Democrat from Guntersville shunned political donations and self-financed his campaigns while becoming a leading voice for campaign finance reform. He led the effort to stop PAC-to-PAC transfers, which allowed politicians to shuffle donations through multiple political action committees and obscure the real source of their funding.

“This will not cure …

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