Ensler launches bid for Alabama lieutenant governor; vows to unite, boost education, and expand Medicaid

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, kicked off his lieutenant governor campaign Saturday, promising to use the constitutionally weak office to bring people together.

“I am running to try to bring Alabamians with different backgrounds and political identities together, knowing that we will never agree on everything, but we can find common ground on the things that we all want,” Ensler said.

Speaking to more than 100 people at the RSA Activity Center in downtown Montgomery, Ensler pointed out Alabama’s low national rank in education and access to affordable health care. He promised to work to fix those issues instead of creating more, like what he said other politicians do.

“They demonize and marginalize those who are different. They create problems rather than solve them. They skew ignorance and lie in vitriol just to score political points,” Ensler said. “They enjoy having the title, but do not do a damn thing to actually serve the people.”

In his 10-minute speech, Ensler also promised to work to expand Medicaid, eliminate the sales tax on groceries and create a state lottery. The Legislature cut the state grocery tax to 2% in the 2025 legislative session.

“Most people in Alabama want the same things: more money in their pockets to afford the expenses of life,” he said. “They want safe neighborhoods and reduce gun violence. They want quality public schools that prepare our children for the future, and they want access to affordable health care.”

The governor can expand Medicaid by order, but the Legislature would have to approve funding for it. Ensler said that expanding Medicaid and a lottery would bring in revenue for the state to address its education and health care concerns.

“People are having to drive hours now to get to an emergency room. They’re having to drive hard instances to deliver a baby. So really focusing on Alabama implementing Medicaid expansion once and for all,” Ensler said in an interview before the event. “The lottery, that’s something the Senate came one vote short. Using the ability to bring people together, I have a record of doing that at the Legislature.”

The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate and votes if the chamber should deadlock on a proposal. The occupant of the office also becomes governor should the governor leave office before the end of his or her term, but otherwise has very little power. 

Before Ensler got into Alabama politics, he taught history at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery. Two of his former students, Udonna Simpson and Josiah King Rodgers, spoke of Ensler’s character.

“I am from Highland Park, which is a lower-income neighborhood here in Montgomery, Alabama, that is often affected by gun violence. However, Rep. Ensler, he was right there. In the Alabama heat, in the Alabama cold, morning, noon, day, night,” Simpson said. “He was right there, advocating, speaking for residents.”

In July, Ensler announced that he would not seek re-election for House District 74 to move back to his home state, New York, to be closer to family.

Rep. Patrice McClammy, D-Montgomery, attended the event in support of Ensler, but she said that even if there was another Democrat running for the position she would still support Ensler.

“I’ve worked with him in the State House, and all the things he’s done, in the Mayor’s office and the community,” McClammy said in an interview after the event. “I told him, ‘You’re not leaving.’”

Since the beginning of his campaign in mid-December, Ensler has raised over $54,000, according to campaign finance records. All of the campaign donations came from individuals, according to the reports. 

Ensler is the first Democrat to join the lieutenant governor race, joining five Republicans, who include current Secretary of State Wes Allen, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Pate, businesswoman Nicole Wadsworth, former gubernatorial candidate Dean Odle and sheriff’s deputy Patrick Bishop. Qualifying for the midterm elections ends on Jan 23. 

Ensler acknowledges the uphill battle of winning a statewide office, despite flipping House District 74 in 2022. 

“I’m not running against someone, I’m running for something,” Ensler said in an interview before the event. “Whoever it is, we’re going to focus on the solutions and be laser focused on that, because that’s what people care about.”

This article originally appeared in the Alabama Reflector, an independent, nonprofit news outlet. It appears on FOX54.com under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.