Gubernatorial candidate Yolanda Flowers joins the Brandon and Christopher Show Podcast

September 24, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, AL. - Gubernatorial candidate Yolanda Flowers joined the Brandon and Christopher Show (BCS) podcast to discuss her campaign and her vision for the state of Alabama. Flowers was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor. Flowers is running again in 2026.

Flowers said that she is running to be Alabama's next Governor because she is tired of the state of Alabama, "being called backwards." "Alabama has not changed in terms of and it's just so many inequalities. There's so much of that going on this discrepancies in terms of dishonesty and disparities is still taking place here in this state."

If Flowers wins the Democratic nomination she likely would be facing Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) in the general election. Tuberville has already raised $6 million.

"I know he has,' said Flowers. "Of course he's got corporations backing him up." "Then you also have more of the wealthy and the Republican party."

Flowers explained why she is a Democrat.

"The Democratic Party is it still fights now for the well-being of all people," said Flowers. "Okay, the women uh the poor, the children, the rights and they feel that no one's right should be encroached upon. So when we think about that I'm hoping that like I said there are those who believe in just what I said that no one has a right to use of authority over another." "The Democratic party to me is an egalitarian type of party should be and I know it was where they believe that everyone has equal rights."

Flowers is known for expressing her Christian faith.

"Christ was the egalitarian God," said Flowers. "Okay, he was an egalitarian leader. He believed in the well-being of everyone. Okay. And I believe that those of us who are true Democrats, I mean true Democrats, who believe in the democracy, who believe in this the good spirit of our country, who believes that this spirit, the democracy, which is a system that it is it it is what is supposed to run the republic because America is a democratic republic. Okay. So when you have the republic which is a body that consists of the citizens and the representatives without the spirit then that body cannot live and move."

"I just believe that we all have to come to an agreement have to come together with an agreement of who we are and what we all want or and need so that we can survive," said Flowers explaining her philosophy.

Flowers expressed concerns about the Choose Act, "Because of the monies that are being taken from the public schools it's almost as if you're leaving them uncovered because everyone is not going to be able to travel or afford to travel to another school." "I am in Birmingham and we know that the city schools are hurting because we have those who are the parents are taking their children out and putting them into the charter schools."

Flowers said that Medicaid expansion is a priority for her.

"My dream is to be able to for all the citizens to have free healthcare," said Flowers. "You know we're taxed. My question is, with all of the taxes, we're being taxed locally, county, state, we're taxed on everything, water, food. That something needs to be free. Something needs to be free."

The Alabama Legislature and Governor Ivey have eliminated half of the state tax on groceries bringing it down from 4 percent to 2 percent. Flowers supports the complete elimination of the grocery tax.

"We need to knock it on out," said Flowers.

Flowers has been a vocal advocate for a state lottery.

"I've stressed how important we can the lottery will be for our state," said Flowers. "Everyone around us has the lottery except for Alabama. Okay? And the lottery and I am one that benefited from the lottery. Okay. When I lived in Tennessee now, born and raised in Birmingham, okay? and I left in se at the age of 17 to attend school in Tennessee. And but I was able to benefit from the lottery and I can also attest to the fact that in Tennessee, the areas that I lived in and traveled, they're always doing construction or work on the roads. You don't have to worry about sewage gurgling in your yard. Okay. I mean just infrastructure is so important and along with that: education. We could take care of all of that. We wouldn't even have to have tax on our groceries and that needs to come down if if the leaders here would just go ahead and pass it."

Flowers dismissed the religious and moral concerns about the lottery.

"I know we are in the Bible belt but come on now everybody even some preachers go and pay to play the lottery," said Flowers. The lottery will be very beneficial and that will help bring in jobs. It will help the infrastructure. We won't to have to worry about when it rains, flooding everywhere because construction would we have the money to construct the roads to reconstruct the roads and repair them and so it's a win-win."

Flowers claimed the Alabama Blue Cross Blue Shield was in opposition to Medicaid expansion.

"I know we have a what you call the big dog - the big dog in the insurance of Blue Cross Blue Shield that is fighting against getting the Medicaid expansion," claimed Flowers. "That's a fight right there. But I believe if us as citizens, if we stand up and fight for our rights with this information that I have just imparted, we can get it. We can get it."

Flowers opposes permit free carry of firearms and opposed the constitutional carry bill that passed in 2022. She believes that bill worsened the crime situation.

"I think when our Governor Ivy signed that bill for free gun carry, I strongly believe that was the worst thing that could have ever have happened," said Flowers. "One of the worst things. Another bad thing I think was to allow so many of the guns to be put into the hands of our children period that it doesn't matter if they're White or Black and I've also stated that the age should be raised to age 21 as opposed to 18. The NRA is a great big factor in this thing when it comes to these uh manufacturing of the guns and all upholding that amendment to the second amendment. We are not in war and I know we have a right to um have possessions. We're not in war and we don't have to hunt for food."

Flowers expressed concerns about the direction of the country.

"I see our country going into becoming a civil war," said Flowers. "Why? Because of we have unscrupulous people. We have people that just capitalism we have a lot of that going on. greed and folk want to have dominion over others."

Flowers had concerns about increasing police presence.

"Tto see our police officers the presence of our police officers it does help to see them patrolling our area; but at the on the same I guess you can say in the same token we have to have make sure that our police officers are well trained and that they are they know not to shoot a person in the back," said Flowers. "I mean there's a way a long time ago you could just shoot them in the leg and they can detain them. They can stop them from from running. But now when a a individual run they shoot them in the back and that's just not good because it's not properly planned and it's not planned to protect the people and bring order. It's planned to to destroy and to bring fear. It's not like it was when I was born. I'm just saying it's totally different. Can't trust a police officer now."

Flowers said that she supports allowing people to grow marijuana in their home gardens for personal use. She did express concerns about many of the synthetic products that were being sold in the state prior to passage of HB445.

"You can raise (marijuana) in your garden but what comes and make it so damaging and destructive is the lacing with the chemicals (like fentanyl) and all and people wanting to make capital off of destroying people." "They're selling gummies and all this that cause hallucinations and paranoia and all other kind of health issues." "Vaping, all of that stuff is damaging to our anatomy. We are not supposed to put all of those things into our body when God has given us what we should have and what is good."

Flowers said that her granddaughter ate half a gummie that she purchased "From one of the little neighborhood convenience stores. Okay. We had to take her to the hospital. I mean, she was just like standing in the middle floor. Don't know where she is. Okay. What? A half of the little gum. A half. We had to rush her to the hospital. Okay. until and they had to monitor her, make sure she didn't have seizures and all of these things. See, that's damaging. And yet we have all these hemp stores going. No, that it needs to be Now, if anything needs to be banned, that needs to be banned."

The Democratic primary is on May 19.

The Brandon and Christopher Show Podcast is cohosted by Alabama Gazette lead reporter and content manager Brandon Moseley and Alabama Political Contributor publisher Christopher Peeks.

To comment or ask a question email brandonmreporter@gmail.com