AL-02 Big List
See also the AL – 05 Big List.
Welcome to the AL – 02 Big List.
 This list has been an attempt to keep up with everyone in either political party who has been credibly mentioned (in public or private) as a potential candidate for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District since Rep. Terry Everett (R – Rehobeth) announced that he will not run for re-election.
Both parties’ qualifying period ended April 4, 2008. Three Democrats and six Republicans qualified for the primary race, and they are listed below. The primary is June 3.
The Political Parlor will update the Alabama Line (found in the sidebar) for the race, though perhaps not as fast as you like since input from a wide array of people is sought.
| Democrats |
Republicans |
IN
Bobby Bright, Montgomery Mayor
Cendie Crawley, Dentist, Troy native
Cheryl Sabel, Alabama NOW President
OUT
William Boyd, Montgomery Mayoral Candidate
Seth Hammett, Speaker of the House
Jimmy Holley, State Senator
Jimmy Lunsford, Troy Mayor
Gary McAliley, Pike/Coffee Co. DA
Wendell Mitchell, State Senator
Scott Ninesling
James Perdue, Crenshaw Co Probate Judge
Cooper Rutland, Union Springs Atty
Ron Sparks, Agricultural Commissioner
Terry Spicer, State Representative
Glen Zorn, former Florala Mayor
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IN
David Grimes, State Representative
Jay Love, State Representative
John W. Martin, Retired Army (Dothan)
Craig Schmidtke, Dothan oral surgeon
Harri Anne Smith, State Senator
David Woods, President, WCOV-TV (Montgomery)
OUT
Greg Albritton, former state Representative
Wes Allen, former candidate for Auditor
Kenneth Boswell, Enterprise Mayor
Bobby Bright, Montgomery Mayor
Terry Butts, former Supreme Court Justice
Jim Byard, Prattville Mayor
Steve Clouse, State Representative
Mark Culver, Houston County Commissioner
Larry Dixon, State Senator
John Giles, former Christian Coalition of AL President
Jack Hawkins, Troy Univ. Chancellor
Jimmy Holley, State Senator
Tim James, Greenville businessman
Troy King, Attorney General
Ben Lewis, State Representative
Barry Mask, State Representative
Charles Nailen, Dothan businessman
Steve Pelham, former Everett staffer
Jim Sullivan, PSC President
George Wallace, Jr., former PSC Commissioner
Dot Waller, Autauga County Bd. of Ed.
Greg Wren, State Representative
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Daily News
By H on March 21, 2010
Posted in Daily News
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Small Town News
By waltm on March 21, 2010
Posted in Small Town
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Legislative Dispatch
By Sen. Steve French on March 10, 2010
I wish my friend Hinton Mitchem godspeed and good luck after his retirement from public service. Hinton, on Monday, announced what many had suspected — he will not seek re-election. I remember meeting Hinton for the first time while I was a student at Auburn University. He served the people of his [...]
Posted in Legislative Dispatch
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By Rep. Cam Ward on March 8, 2010
 Here is a quick preview of the upcoming week in Montgomery. This week will be a standard legislative schedule for the House. We will be in session on Tuesday and Thursday with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
The House will take up a ten minute calendar this week. A ten minute calendar is [...]
Posted in Legislative Dispatch
| Tagged legislative session
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Purple Dot Connection
By Natalie Davis on March 15, 2010
TOP TEN INDICATIONS OF MARCH MADNESS
10. Eric Massa inviting us to ask the 10,000 Navy men he served with whether he is gay.
9. Larry Langford hitting the jackpot 33 times in one day and not remembering it.
8. Ron Sparks being able to make payments on a $500,000 loan with an income of $80,000.
7. Artur Davis [...]
Posted in Purple Dot Connection
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Back in the Day...Tent City at Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, ca 1918
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Alabama
Line |
The Alabama Line is being updated and will return perhaps as soon as the first week of February.
The Alabama Line and its contents are the creation of Doc’s Political Parlor, reflect consensus from insiders and well-connected folks on both sides of the aisle, and will be updated as conditions change. These odds are meant to inform, entertain, and provoke, not to serve as actual means for losing money. Permission granted to use this material if PoliticalParlor.net is cited as the source.
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Legislative Dispatch
Purple Dot Connection
2010 Big List
2010 Senate Elections
2010 House Elections
Press Releases
Thats a lot of names, I am ready for these candidates to start jumping in or get off the pot.
How did Dot Waller get on this list?
A credible source told me she was not running.
I was just surprised that there was any consideration of her running, that is what amazed me, not that she isn’t running
Waller is a fixture in one of the more important counties in the district, I think she’d have made an interesting candidate. Certainly better than Terry Butts.
never heard of her
Cloverdale made my point, she is a fixture and a great person and does great things for autauga county, but i doubt she could even win the race for this seat only counting votes in autauga county. And I believe you have Jim Byard in the wrong party.
Nevermind he appearantly changed parties.
Byard may be listed in the right party but Jimmy Holley is not. He is a long time Dem unless he plans on switching just to run in the 2d District.
Jimmy Holley is listed in both columns.
He is a Democrat, but there has been talk that he might switch to the Republican Party even before Everett announced that he would not run again. I think we should consider that if he were to run for this seat in a Republican-leaning district, he might go ahead and run as a Republican.
Not sure Sparks or Bright live in district 2.
Spicer is not a threat to anyone but his ego may cause him to run. Holley would be more viable. Jack Hawkins will run for Gov and Harri Anne will likewise stay in state not fed politics. Word in the Wiregrass is starting to edge toward Charles Nailen a dothan businessman. Bobby Bright is in an interesting position to go in either patry’s primary. This will not end up a DEM seat however. It will stay Republican – look at the numbers and remember this will be a presidential election year and that will liekly be a boost for Reps down the line in district 2. and gearge wallace? has been…
The boys better pray Harri Ann doesn’t run. She’d be a VERY, VERY stron candidate.
typo of course “stron” s/b “strong” in above. Oops.
Where is Dwight Adams on this list?
Dwight Adams is not on the list as he has lost 2 or more elections for state senate recently.
Candidates who have an actual chance to WIN: Tim James, Harri Anne Smith, maybe Barry Mask. Love is NOT a conservative and has a ton of pro-government/tax growth baggage. He won’t play in the district. The others are all pygmys.
What about Wes Allen?
Wes Allen? Who is he?????
If Senator Smith chooses to run, the citizens of Alabama would be wise to elect her. Her recent stand against the pay raise the Alabama Senate voted for themselves shows her dedication to the people of her district. Her comments on the subject were to the effect that the people she represents didn’t get an almost 50% pay raise and it wasn’t right that she should get one either.
Senator Smith did everything she could to block the raise, including rallying on the steps of the State House.
Unlike many politicians who would have mouthed those words, knowing the bill would pass, then take the raise while still looking good to the home folks; Smith REFUSED the payraise. She literally put her money where her mouth was. Her ethics are beyond reproach. She is a breath of fresh air in a room that is too often stale, and her honesty and integrity should be rewarded. WHATEVER office she should decide to run for, she has my vote and that of most of my peers in the Wiregrass area.
Rep. Terry Spicer had bad news coverage today. He is linked with the group of state reps that also feed off public funds for their salary by double dipping as community college employees. This guy smells but his ego keeps him a viable candidate in his own eyes. No way he can win the primary but Republicans hope he will so he can get trounced later in the general election.
Harri Anne for State Treasurer!!!!!!!!
While, Senator Smith would be a great Treasurer, she could do so much more for Alabama in Congress. We need to start a grass roots campaign to persuade her to run.
Harri Anne will not run for Congress – get behind another local candidate.
Senator Smith hasn’t said ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ on the subject, so I wouldn’t rule her out just yet. Whatever she runs for, she has the backing of the majority of the voters in this area.
You GOPers continue to be scared to death of Terry Spicer. Everyone knows the GOP is driving the whole bogus double dipper story(ies). Just invoke
the state and U.S. Constitution when it is convenient. Disregard whatever portions are not in line with stealing the legislature from the people of Alabama who voted on their representatives. Does anyone think Brandley Bryne never billed not one legal client while he was supposedly working in Montgomery
or in his car on the phone returning to Fairhope from a legislative day? A bunch of GOP b.s. You folks really think Joe Alabama is stupid. Granted the Alabama press is pretty damn lazy because they take the Riley/GOP line and never do a damn bit of research.
I can assure you the people of Coffee County would never have landed automotive suppliers without Spicer who took on himself to land these companies with very little help from the state and the Alabama Development Office. Without Spicer’s aggressive approach to ensuring his district benefiting from the’
automotive move to Alabama these companies would have located elsewhere. Riley will take all the credit despite his every effort to tell these suppliers
Coffee County could not supply their labor needs. You GOP’ers make me sick.
Trojan Horse is right on. Very well said. Make sure Coffee County continues not to be taken for granted in Montgomery / and Washington. These Montgomery Gucci wearing repubs want to make sure nothing progressive happens in Coffee County. Enterprise is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. Seems like Spicer has been pretty good for the area despite the countless lies generated by the Republican Campaign Congressional Committee and
Repub Czar Mike Hubbard – he who really likes no bid contracts from Auburn University. Gov. Riley says “BID IT”. He just does not say when to bid it. I guess he
means during the next administration. Riley is going to make Siegelman look like a saint when all is said and done. Ethic reform needs to start with
Riley’s own family. They seem to not be able to read the Ethics Law. Anybody want to check the security cameras at the capital and see who “the
family” brings to Montgomery for “personal” meetings with the Gov?
Did Spicer write that himself? Spicer barely won re election in his own state house district – much less having the ability to carry all of district 2. The best shot for a dem is Mayor Bobby Bright – even then, winning district 2, especially in a Presidential election year, will not be any easy task for a dem. Spicer would be a non starter.
Right on guys. Rep. Spicer is the one candidate mentioned here that actually appears and talks like an Alabamian. He, among other things, can look another man in the eye. His wisdom and wit has allowed him to forge an across the isle working relationship in the Alabama Legislature, and without him, the state would be at a loss. An actual down to earth guy might not be what Hubbard, Riley, and the Canary/Daxbell twins are looking for here though. Classy bunch of guys – out for every Alabamian.
So here’s to overstuffing your undersized coat and blasting the district with some social conservative propaganda – real problem solving stuff. If the district listens to this crap, then maybe Love can snivel his way to DC (doubtful, he doesn’t even do this well), or Troy can execute his way there (I’m sure his moral compass is worthy of more front page news).
I’ll be in the lookout for an ugly response filled with the names of the National Democratic Congressional Committee and every Democratic scandal since Reconstruction to follow. Once again, real problem solving stuff. Go Terry!
Spicer must be writing these posts himself. he is looking at a new posituion alright – as a possible inmate due to his role in the Junior College scandal.
Remember “Landslide Spicer’ was reelected with only 51% of the viote. He’s toast.
On another front, Harri Anne Smith IS runing for congress, so all of you wishful thinkers who are scared of her will have to take anothe course of action.
Harri Anne will be strong in this district.
Sorry about the typos – this view cuts off my vision of what I have typed so I cannot correct my copy.
Anyone who knows the senator knows tht she never jumps head first into anything without examining all the angles-that is what makes her so good at what she does. I’m sure that she is thoroughly researching the pros and cons of running as we speak…otherwise she would have come out and said she is not running. The fact that she has not made a public statement either way speaks volumes.
Harri Anne would be strong but I doubt she will run from Congress as she will move ahead for a statewide run. As for Spicer – his ego and those posting here are not realistic. As noted, he barely won re election in his own district. They guy is done. Bobby Bright would be the best dems can do and he is not sure what party he wants to be in right now.
Spicer barely won because of several low blow campaign tricks and a load of money spent aginst him. Republicans wrote him off in that election and he still won because he’s a good bit more savy than they thought. His knowledege of that district shouldn’t be underestimated. As much negative buzz as these blogs contain about him, someone is worried – and should be.
I think Harri Anne Smith IS running for congress. I am certain she has made some contacts and is weighing her options and I feel that it is highly likely she will run and will be formidable.
Good grief Shug – Spicer couldn’t handle money spent in a state house race but CAN handle a congressional race? Give it up – Spicer cannot possibly win – not even a contested Demo primary. He’s a joke. Move on.
What about Charles Nailen? Has anyone heard anything about him? Rumor has it he’s thinking about running.
Charles Nailen has been on the list since early on. On the GOP side under “whispers” for now.
No-Name Nailen. No chance.
Why do you say Nailen has no chance? He’s got a lot of Montgomery support.
Nailen is connected but not known by the average voter. Hello? Can someone say Bob Riley when he first ran for Congress? Jo Bonner when he first ran for Congress? Terry Everett when he first ran for Congress? Best I recall, they all three won. All un known to the average voter but well connected and good candidates. Nailen is no different…someone to watch and is gaining support.
As for Spicer of the dem side – only his ego must be driving that perception.
Actually Bonner was known, he was Sonny’s chief of staff and he operated out of mobile. Who is nailen?
Nailen is a businessman from Dothan. Self-starter. He and his wife built a successful business in the tri-state area.
If you think a Chief of Staff is known to the average voter you are wrong.
I still don’t see any of these potential candidates beating Smith in her own district or its surrounding areas. For two years I’ve heard people from outside her district say they would vote for her in any election in which they COULD vote for her. These have not been just ocassional comments, but frequent comments. I hear voters from outside her district say, “We wouldn’t have such and such a problem if Harri Anne represented us.” Joe Voter and Jane Voter LIKE Smith and they want her to represent them. And when it comes down to it, it is Joe and Jane Voter who will be making the decisions in the voting booth.
Saw this morning’s Dothan Eagle has Smith as ’strongly considering’ running. YES!
Danny, You will want to check but I heard through the grapevine Jack Hawkins is NOT running. Love may have been given the kiss of death if it’s true Hubbard and Riley are backing that horse, worked with Randy McKinney didn’t it? Also, Love trapsing off to Washington acting like heir apparent will backfire. Several are mulling options, after all it is football season – only the political junkies are really paying attention right now. If Harri Anne Smith runs, she will win.
I work with the Legislature and the impression among those work in and around the Legislature is that it will be a close race between Harri Anne Smith and Jay Love. I live in Montgomery so I saw Love beat a 24 year incumbent in the primary by campaigning like someone I have never seen. I don’t know how Smith is viewed in her district. By the way they are both two of the nicest people you will ever meet.
Smith is popular in the district but look for Charles Nailen to have a voice in what goes on in the Wiregrass as well. In terms of Love he is in bed with Paul Hubbert. Hopefully Governor Riley will stay out of the mix on this one until the Republican candidate is chosen.
Let’s be real, this job is over the head of many of these ego filled candidates. Especially the ones that float their name for any race that comes along. You have to want this job to be good at it and want it for the RIGHT REASONS. I am looking for the non typical politician and there are only a few of those so far. Jack Hawkins, Tim James, Charles Nailen. Hawkins may target state wide office so that leaves James and Nailen. Look for either or both to make a solid run and mix it up with the typical politicians out there.