Democrat Rudolph Drake won an Alabama state Senate seat after a Florida court found that he had stalked a woman who sought protection from him. Drake defeated Republican John Roberts in the November 3rd election for Senate District 2. The court proceedings involved allegations of threats, unwanted visits and harassment of the woman’s relatives. A judge granted a final injunction against Drake in 2022.
The race covered western Madison County and portions of eastern Limestone County, including communities in Athens, Huntsville and Madison. The allegations originated in Duval County, Florida, where Runettia Ulanda Guess filed sworn petitions in November 2021 and May 2022. Guess requested dismissal of the first petition. Eleven days after she filed the second, the court entered the final injunction finding that she had been stalked.
Guess’s allegations included encounters at her home and conduct extending beyond Florida. She said Drake followed her to South Carolina, refused to leave her residence and threatened to disclose private health information. She also described a physical altercation in which he forced his way inside her home. According to her account, a friend called police, but Drake left and she told officers not to come.
As 1819 News reported after the election, Drake received 34,585 votes, while Roberts received 27,130. Those reported totals put the Democrat ahead by 7,455 votes in the contest to represent the district in Montgomery. The election followed public reporting about the Florida proceedings in September and renewed criticism from Guess immediately before voters went to the polls.
In its September account, 1819 News reported that Guess accused Drake of sending her nude photographs of herself and contacting relatives with sexually explicit accusations when she didn’t respond. She also alleged that he threatened to “put a bullet in my head if he didn’t have anything to lose.” Drake signed an acknowledgment of the injunction using his full name, Rudolph Valentino Drake. Because the court’s stalking finding came in a civil proceeding, it doesn’t constitute a criminal conviction or, by itself, trigger the criminal-conviction disqualifications described in Alabama’s election handbook.
Drake’s professional background includes military service and work supporting defense operations. According to Ballotpedia’s candidate biography, based on information he supplied, he was born in Huntsville and served in Navy aviation quality assurance. His career also included employment as a Department of Defense police officer and aviation leadership work supporting aircraft operations. He secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Alex House in the June 16th primary runoff.
Watch commentary on his case here:
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Days before the general election, Guess spoke publicly about how she believed Drake was portraying the case. In a report published November 2nd, 1819 News reported that she accused him of dismissing her as a jealous former girlfriend. She said the experience continued to affect her and objected to having her account reduced to resentment over their relationship. She described that portrayal as another painful experience after seeking court protection.
Roberts also addressed the injunction before Election Day, calling for Drake to explain the record publicly. He said candidates should answer questions about serious conduct and urged accountability over the court’s finding. Guess challenged Drake’s response in her own statement to the outlet: “Attempting to discredit me with a label rather than honestly addressing that conduct does not reflect integrity, accountability, or respect.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.