A political action committee run by the Alabama Education Association has already given almost $1.4 million to candidates seeking office this year, and one-fourth of that was donated in Senate District 31, which includes Covington County.

According to records accessed from the Alabama Secretary of State’s web site yesterday, the Alabama Voice of Teachers for Education has given Garreth Moore of Enterprise a total of $350,000. A contribution of $150,000 was made in November; another $100,000 was donated in April, and an additional $100,000 was reported this past week. Contributions Moore has received from other sources only total $550. To date, Moore has spent $238,965.

Moore is a former state representative who is challenging incumbent Sen. Jimmy Holley of Elba. Both men are on the Republican ballot.

Holley has reported total contributions of $308,170. Of the 179 contributions reported to the Secretary of State’s office, the largest was a total of $20,563 from FARMPAC, the political action committee of the Alabama Farmers Federation. He also received contributions totaling $20,000 each from AGCPAC, Progress PAC, and TRUK PAC; contributions totaling $15,000 each from ALAPAC-Alabama Medical PAC; and $12,500 from AUTOPAC.

He also has received $10,000 each from the Alabama Bankers Association PAC; Alabama Power Co. Employees State PAC; Alabama Realtors PAC; CARE PAC; IMPAC; LEGPAC; Retailers of Alabama PAC; and Trial Trust.

To date, Holley has spent $102,498.

The AEA political action committee also gave $150,000 to candidate Victor Phillips Poole Jr.; and $50,000 each to Larry Means, Sen. Rodger Smitherman, Sen. Rodger H. Bedford Jr., Sen. Tammy Irons and Sen. William M. “Billy” Beasley. All of the senators are Democrats.

Party primaries will be held June 3.