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
|
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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I like Woods over Smith and Love for sure. I rather have someone that has not been influenced/trained in the Alabama legislature. All this crap about needing experience in the legislature…it’s bull. Riley, Bonner, Everett, Cramer and others had zero legislative experience and they did (and are doing) a great job.
Comment by PikeCountyguy — April 8, 2008 @ 9:02 am
Grimes was good that day - funny and friendly. Love and Smith were not there. Schmidtke was pathetic - kept talking about how he was running because he was “afraid.” Woods was pretty good too.
Comment by Early speaking opportunity — April 8, 2008 @ 7:13 am
I say we get to what is really important…making sure Bobby Bright is NOT our next member of congress.
Comment by Jbone — April 7, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
That is the first time I have ever heard anyone say Grimes did the best job in terms of speakers at an event. He must have had a good day. Nice guy though - just not impressive to me.
Comment by BadNewsBear — April 7, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
Thank you, Danny. Obviously, I should have chosen a much less controversial pseudonym. I guess sometimes I’m a bit naive as to what can, and will, be taken out of context. By the time I realized the confusion over the conicidence, it was too late to change it without causing even more problems. I appreciate you taking the time to confirm the fact, once and for all, that I am not Mrs. Harris.
I was tied up today and missed the inappropriate comment, for which I am thankful. I am even more grateful that you deleted it.
It amazes me how many people are concerned with my pedigree. I haven’t had so many people questioning my parentage since the time I made a football joke and suddenly realized that everyone in the room, except for me, was wearing the ‘wrong’ colors.
Comment by MH — April 7, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
I have confirmed that MH who comments here is not Harri Anne Smith’s mother.
I deleted a comment that would have been tacky if MH had been Sen. Smith’s mother and was quite inappropriate since she’s not.
Comment by Danny — April 7, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
I heard Schmidtke at an event in Montgomery - not the one referenced below though. He was a bad joke. He was incredibly weak. He has zero chance. David Woods was pretty good; Grimes was excellent.
Comment by Early speaking opportunity — April 7, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
The Smith supporters don’t need to have fangs for Schmidtke. The guy has lived in the state for only 3 years. He claims wiregrass ties of over 75 years, but that is because of his wife’s family. Also his father went to UA. This guy can’t be for real.
Comment by William Wyatt Wallace — April 7, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Actually I heard Craig Schmidtke did the best of any of the Congressional candidates at the forum. Now let me guess, all the Senator Smith supporters will whip out their fangs and go after him.
Comment by WiregrassVoter — April 7, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
Terry,
Would that other guy from Dothan be Gulf War veteran, John Martin? Did anybody hear all of the candidates speak at the AFRW Legislative Days in Montgomery recently?
Comment by LB-22 — April 7, 2008 @ 11:59 am
Thank you, JT. We don’t always agree on politics, but you are, as always, a gentleman!
Comment by MH — April 7, 2008 @ 9:33 am
MH - you are doing your normal duty on here I see. But come on now…..Smith supporters will sling mud faster that anyone on here. Face it. I will admit that you defend her more than sling mud at others which is perfectly fine. But there are some folks out there that as was noted…in their “zest” to support Smith they trash other folks…especially Jay Love that I am sure they see as her biggest competition. Nevertheless, MH, I do respect your opinion and some other Smith supporters on here could take a little notice. Although I did read a thread on here comparing her to a Nazi, etc that was ridiculous. Remember folks, this is just a Congressional race…not the end of the world.
Comment by JT — April 7, 2008 @ 7:18 am
LOL! Seriously, I’ve been called worse than ‘nuts’ by better people. As for being Smith’s mother, I’ve answered that accusation repeatedly. I can’t prove I’m not her, but I suspect she has a lot better things to do with her time than have a battle of wits with an unarmed anonymous blogger. I’ll say one thing about the lady, she raised one heck of a daughter, so I reckon I ought to take that particular ‘insult’ as a great compliment. Thank you!
Comment by MH — April 7, 2008 @ 6:36 am
[Comment has been deleted.]
Comment by Danny — April 7, 2008 @ 6:15 am
And yet the last two posts about people bashing each other have been people bashing Smith and her supporters with accusations of bashing. Thank God I don’t have an analytical personality or the irony of this would have me chasing my own tail.
OTOH, I do have a very creative personality, and a really wicked sense of humor; so I’ll just sit here and chuckle to myself……maybe sketch up a good political cartoon or two….
Comment by MH — April 7, 2008 @ 1:41 am
Good comment Terry. Bright is the one the GOP folks need to be looking out for. It seems to me as well that the Senator Smith folks, in their zest to promote her candidacy, over do it and trash everyone they see in her path…truth be damned.
Comment by Ted — April 6, 2008 @ 9:29 pm
Thanks for the comment Terry - it is VERY TRUE. Harri Anne folks on here go ape #$&% if anything is said about her and they in turn burn and trash Jay Love or anyone else they see as a threat to her. It’s out of control. I find it amazing.
Comment by HTP — April 6, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
I wish so much that most of you on this blog would realize this race is NOT Harri Anne Smith versus Jay Love. It’s whoever our GOP nominee is versus Bobby Bright. That’s it.
1) Don’t forget that despite what most of the posters on this blog would have you believe, Sen. Smith and Rep. Love are not the only two candidates in the race. Indeed those two will probably be the top fundraisers, but I guarantee you a vast majority of District 2 Republicans have no idea who they are voting for in June. There are three other, in my opinion, viable candidates- David Grimes, Craig Scmidtke, and David Woods. There’s also a guy from Dothan…
2) We’re acting like the Democrats in the Presidential race here. The more we go on and on about how Jay Love hides his campaign donors, or how Harri Anne Smith violated unintentially violated FEC law, or how David Woods and David Grimes are rich elitists from Montgomery, the easier we make it for Bobby Bright to sail into the general election with the wind at his back. Given, Mayor Bright will have to defeat Cendie Crawley and Cheryl Sabel, but that shouldn’t be too difficuly given Crawley’s low name ID and Sabel’s extremely liberal positions. But we HAVE to unite around the nominee we choose, and make sure that we keep this seat in Republican hands. So, as tempting as it may be, try not to criticize another Republican candidate- Bright and the DCCC will have that taken care of come mid-summer.
Comment by Terry — April 6, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
MH, the “Smith bashers” on here are Jay Love’s consultants. They attempted to do the same thing to Tripp Pittman in Baldwin County when they were losing the Randy McKinney race. Their stock in trade is to create a false impression of their own candidate (although you have to admire their audacity in presenting Jay Love as a “tax-cutter” knowing he has the biggest tax hike vote in history around his neck like an albatross) while simultaneously distorting their opponent’s record.
It didn’t work in Baldwin. We’ll see how it works this time. I will say this: this must be the only way they know to campaign as it never varies.
Comment by For MH — April 6, 2008 @ 9:41 am
Emma Claire,
If you would go back and read past posts, you would know the answer to your questions about me. However, I know how overwhelming it would be to wade through all the posts, so to facilitate things for you:
1) I am a disabled middle aged widow, so, yes, I have a lot of time on my hands. It’s either spend time on the computer, or become The Crazy Cat Lady…although lately I seem to be doing a really good job at the latter, as well. When you live in the country and folks know you are a cat lover, abandoned cats seem to mysteriously find their way to your doorstep.
2) In light of the above, I think that pretty much answers your questions about whether or not I am Smith, her DH, her sister, her mother, etc.
3) I defend Smith on this blog because if you look at the polls, and read what the political analysts and pundits have to say, it is obvious that the Smith Bashers are vastly over represented on this board…and if I and a few other folks didn’t speak up, the postings on this board would grossly distort the reality of the constituency…which I assume is the reason that this has become a Bash Smith blog.
4) I also support and defend Smith because I believe in her. For the most part, her ideals are my ideals. I don’t neccesarily agree with Smith on every issue. But I admire her, I believe in her, and I know she is going to make us one fine Congresswoman.
Comment by MH — April 5, 2008 @ 2:41 pm