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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It makes me wonder, too, why a person would go deep into debt to get a job that doesn’t pay enough to pay off the debt. Maybe they are gambling on someone else paying off the debt for them if they are elected, or perhaps they expect the job to have ‘perks’ not included in the official salary….. I’m a little naive when it comes to the inner workings of politics…but I am also suspicious of anything that doesn’t make sense on paper. And borrowing more moeny than you anticipate making just doesn’t make sense to me.
Comment by MH — April 23, 2008 @ 10:41 am
MH, the thing here that amzes me is how people will assert that borrowing money makes a candidate viable. By that logic, all I have to do to become rich is get myself into huge debt.
Hey I could have millions in “cash on hand” - all of which, just like Schmidtke, Love, and Woods - has to be PAID BACK.
Strong candidates with broad support can raise money trhough DONATIONS. If you are borrowing heavily it means - undeniably and by definition - that your level of support cannot support your political aspirations.
Taking out loans in a political campaign is a bad sign. When loans become the bulk of your money it is a horrible sign.
Comment by Freud — April 23, 2008 @ 10:14 am
Didn’t y’all know? The rules of logic are suspended on this forum…especially when it comes to dissing Smith. LOL!
I’ve always gotten a kick out of how people can twist statistics to say anything they want them to say. However, I’ve never seen so many people able to twist logic around to defy all common sense before. And when you try to explain it to them in a way that even a child could understand, they accuse you of clouding the issue. I have taught illiterate children and adults to read, but I can’t make some of the people on this forum see the truth in front of their noses.
Comment by MH — April 23, 2008 @ 10:06 am
Hey moneytalks - let me see if I have this straight: the ONE CANDIDATE in this race who has raised MORE MONEY than ALL THE OTHERS COMBINED AND who is the ONLY ONE NOT IN DEBT is the one with money problems.
That is just sad. Here’s a clue: try not to make absolutely ridiculous statements on here. Or better yet just forget you ever learned to type.
Comment by Jabberwocky — April 23, 2008 @ 8:25 am
Listen - Love, Scmidstke and Wood are all operating on borrowed money. They are in the RED. You can puff out your chest and talk about “cash on hand” but anybody can go into debt and claim to have resources. You don’t think Smith could borrow money? She - unlike the others - does not have to. She has DONORS. In the first quarter 53 separate donors gave her the maximum legal contribution of $23000. Jay Love got four - 4. That is no misprint. The others got a goose egg.
No one borrows money unless they HAVE TO.
Comment by cash on hand? — April 23, 2008 @ 8:22 am
MH, I saw your reply. Having a fundraiser does not mean you net a lot of money. I don;t need a referal to her website showing she had an event. Harri Anne Smith had a large event in Dothan, and thanks to John Watson, raised a lot of cash for a sitting State Senator. However, I doubt she will come anywhere even close to that amount again. Her sources have been tapped. Whoever posted about cash on hand is correct…that is what matters right now. And also posted before, and true, is that Smith has spent half of her cash and seems to be going through it in a hurry on consultants. She is not even on TV yet and that is where the big money is spent. I predict she will have a cash problem very soon unless she puts up some of her own money.
Comment by MOneytalks — April 22, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
Smith had one fund raiser in the last reporting period. Since then, she has had others. Please visit her website for the truth.
http://harrianne2008.com/
Comment by MH — April 22, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Post 691 - you’re a joke. Harri Anne Smith did well in her one fundraiser but she has spent half of her money already on consultants and polls and there is not any sign she will raise any more. Jay Love raised funds and also contributed to his own election like David Woods and Craig Schmidtke have also done. As another post noted, when you look at cash on hand, she actually lags behind. And post “here comes grimes”….it should be “there goes grimes”. his performance is less than impressive.
Comment by Truthbeknown — April 22, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
If the Harri Anne crowd has resorted to making fun of Jay Love’s hair, then he must be doing something right. As for the money, WWW offered a link some days ago that noted the Cash on Hand for each candidate. If memory is true, then Harri Anne was not doing so well.
Comment by Cash-in-Hand — April 22, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
Apparently all the major donors think Love is finished. His money is falling off precipitously. That is never a positive sign in politics. He’s in the red just like Hillary Clinton.
So, given that, I think Sperling may have a point.
To be fair here, no other candidates other than the oft-maligned Harri Anne are getting big donations. But that has been the way to bet in the past. As a point of referednce , when Mike Rogers ran the money came early and consitently. Love’s fundraising has been hugely disappointing and there is no way to sugarcoat - or spin - that fact.
Comment by No moolah for Dax — April 22, 2008 @ 11:38 am
…snicker…snort..chortle…
Comment by MH — April 22, 2008 @ 11:33 am
RINO Jay = Rogaine Is Not Optional Jay
Comment by Hair Club for balding RINOS — April 22, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Nope - he isn’t the only one that thinks that. Unfortunately for the Receding-Hairlined RINO Jay Love . . .
Comment by Here Comes Grimes — April 22, 2008 @ 11:24 am
Yes, you are the only one that thinks that Sperling.
Comment by BBB — April 22, 2008 @ 11:01 am
Am I the only one on here who thinks Combover Jay Love is beginning to fade? I think there may be another Montgomery frontrunner and soon.
Comment by Sy Sperling — April 22, 2008 @ 10:06 am
Bobby Bright the moderate? What has he already promised the Democratic Party to get assurances of getting Armed Services and Agriculture assignments? I doubt a liberal from Chicago and the House Majorty leader are going to be throwing money out to a moderate.
Comment by William Wyatt Wallace — April 22, 2008 @ 8:13 am
Jay Love supporting the Bush Tax Cuts makes we want to vomit. Harri Anne Smith can raise money fast but it is all going to disappear quickly if she keeps opening her mouth. Grimes statement about the so-called virtual brooder - virtually anyone can come across - was crazy and hilarious, someone send it to John Stewart and the “Daily Show!!!” Craig Schmidtke was the best of the Republican candidates, i.e. not all that fake. What District 2 needs is for their elected congressman to put aside partisan politics. I’m endorsing the moderate, Bobby Bright.
Comment by Anonymous — April 22, 2008 @ 12:03 am
I watched the WSFA video on today’s forum at Troy. For the Dems - Bright beats Sabel, or maybe I should say Sabel beats Sabel. She didn’t do herself any favors today. For the Reps - HASmith self-destructed. Never answered a single question, but did thank the questioner, the audience, the university, the other candidates, and let everyone know how proud she was of everything and everyone she has ever met. As for the rest of the Reps, no real standouts yet, although Schimdtke did a good job of staying on point when he answered questions. Love got a “deer in the headlights” look a couple of times. Grimes and Woods were OK. Martin is still a veteran.
Comment by JRay — April 21, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
I’ll never understand the comb over thing. It’s as awful as a bad toupee. It screams “Look at me, I’m losing my hair!” My late husband had the mother of all comb overs before the chemo rendered that particular vanity immaterial. I never could persuade him that a close cropped hair cut looks a LOT better than artfully arranging your side hairs to try to look like you have hair on top. Ah well, I guess we all have our soft spots that we try to hide from the world.
Comment by MH — April 21, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
I lost my internet feed after about 30 minutes of the debate. Before losing my connection I was able to note that Smith showed up, Schmidtke lost his wince, Schmidtke does own a second suit, and Jay Love should fire whoever cuts his hair because he was showing off the combover in full force.
Comment by William Wyatt Wallace — April 21, 2008 @ 3:18 pm