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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Renee Gentle Powers’ over two decades of work in the Republican Party has gone from volunteering time on candidates’ campaigns to now a voting member in the Alabama Electoral College. Powers’ journey from an elementary educator to a prominent figure in the Republican Party nationally all took place in Chilton County, and started because “she just knew everyone there was around.”

After President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance won the Nov. 5 election, the next step to confirming the victory happened on Dec. 17 as the Electoral College electors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia gathered to cast their ballots — one for each the president and vice president. The nation’s electoral college process allows all 50 states’ electors to cast their ballots on the same day.

The Electoral College has 538 electors in it from across the country, and each state is assigned a number of electors that is equal to its Senate and House of Representatives seats. Alabama has nine seats, so is given nine electoral votes.

Every four years, the Alabama State Executive Committee elects the nine electors whose only purpose is to elect the president and vice president. Seven of the nine electors are elected by each of the Congressional District’s State Executive Committee members from the seven congressional districts, and the other two are elected at-large by the entire State Executive Committee that represent the U.S. Senate seats. The at-large electors run statewide, and the over 400 State Executive Committee members vote for the at-large electors. After a successful campaign, the committee members selected Powers to one of the at-large elector spots on May 4, 2024.

On Dec. 17 of last year, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen convened the meeting of the nine Alabama electors in the Historic Chamber of the Alabama House of Representatives in the State Capitol Building in Montgomery. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey gave welcoming remarks, followed by Powers, along with Alabama State Sen. Lane Bell, Chris Brown, Mike Dean, Jacquelyn Gay, Bill Harris, James Hanes Jr., Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries Rick Pate and Bonnie Sachs, signing ballots to confirm their votes for Trump and Vance.

Before her 24 years with the Republican Party began, Powers taught kindergarten for 25 years that introduced her to hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Chilton County. Around the turn of the century, former Alabama Sen. Hank Erwin, who connected with Powers’ husband a few years earlier, needed a campaign manager. He reached out to Powers directly to ask her to do it, due to her friendliness, knowledge and influence around the residents of Chilton County.

“Initially, I did not feel qualified because Hank thought just because I knew a lot of people in Chilton County that that would qualify me, despite my efforts to convince him otherwise,” Powers said.

Erwin asked Powers if he could come and pray with her about it, which she thought was unique. Around the same time, one of Powers’ friends shared with her Billy Graham’s book “Nearing Home.” The book highlighted a notion that if one is in God’s will and favor, that while they are performing their careers, he is actually giving them skills that he would like them to use during their retirement years to further his kingdom.

Powers took all of that into consideration and decided to run Erwin’s campaign, and he won. Now, 24 years later after a God’s will leap, Powers has gone from a brand new campaign manager to a prominent political figure.

“I went from assisting candidates and campaigns to leadership roles,” Powers said. “It has been quite the journey.”

Prior to her voting as a member of the Alabama Electoral College, Powers held other positions of leadership such as currently serving as the Regional Chair with the Alabama Republican Party representing Congressional Districts 3, 6 and 7 that cover 31 counties.

Also, in the Republican Party, there are four national convention committees — Credentials, Permanent Organization, Platform and Rules and Order of Business. One man and one woman are elected to each of the four committees, and Powers was elected to the Rules and Order of Business Committee, along with Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, in 2024.

“I was honored and humbled by the support of my colleagues,” Powers said.

The Rules and Order of Business Committee’s business includes considering amendments to the Rules of the Republican Party that are used for the election and in government of the RNC, adding procedures of the RNC and the process for election, selection, allocation and binding of delegates to the next national convention. Powers had the direct support of President-elect Trump with a livestream endorsement from him for her to serve on that specific committee, which he said she fit the role for the committee perfectly.

Powers’ selection to the Alabama Electoral College also landed her with a reserve seat at Trump’s Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. Powers has been to two inaugurations before — George W. Bush’s in 2001 and Trump’s in 2017, but she had to stand. This time, she was given the opportunity for a reserve seat due to her role in the complete process of presidential transition.