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 meant to post my name with the last comment. I will also add that the newspaper in Dothan (the Dothan Buzzard….I mean Eagle) seems biased…I mean geez! At least the Montgomery Advertiser and all the tv stations (three of them that I saw cover it) were fair and balanced on this topic. So much for good journalism I guess. Kudos Debbie….good job (NOT!)
Comment by Reality Bites — July 6, 2008 @ 11:25 am
I spoke to Jay before and after his meeting with Ronnie Gilley.
BEFORE: Jay told me Ronnie Gilley initiated the meeting, as Jay was in town meeting with Enterprise business leaders (that would never include Ronnie Gilley). He went to the meeting to try not to alienate future constituents.
AFTER: Jay left the meeting telling me that Ronnie was upset (really a different word was used) at him for not wanting to accept his support in return for an endorsement of CC’s.
Maybe I should hold my own press conference in Enterprise and see how well the Eagle covers my story. I can refute KT and Ronnie, but here is the best part, I would do it under oath and connected to a lie detector.
Comment by WhatReallyHappenedInEnterprise — July 6, 2008 @ 11:24 am
I highly doubt Jay Love asked Ronnie Gilley for anything but I am sure they met as a courtesy. Jay Love is against gambling and would not have wanted a contribution for Ronnie Gilley. I didn’t vote for Jay Love the first time around but I do think he has better sense than to ask Ronnie Gilley for a check. Let’s be realistic guys.
Too bad Tim James didn’t run for Congress is all I can say!!! James 2010 for Governor.
Comment by Anonymous — July 6, 2008 @ 11:21 am
Whatever else is posted on this board, Jay Love did ask Gilley for money. It happened. His own advisors know this. They were there. It happened.
Comment by Anonymous — July 6, 2008 @ 9:29 am
To #1434/ Interesting and truthful. Everything you said is true. I personally heard the press conference by 2 of her supporters who vowed to fight it to the end. I think that was before her awkward, tearful digression from introducing the bill to allow the people to vote. I’ve been curious as to where those 2 were. I believed in them,and I was so supportive, but they disappeared, and nothing has been heard from them since, I think. I was disappointed in that. I’m not sure who the livid one was that didn’t want her name on Gilley’s fundraiser. I would think they’d all be livid. I think she sold herself to the devil and ignored all the financial support she had. When she switched to Cris Brown and Beason, things took a down turn. However, I heard her financial backers wanted her to switch. Her first ads were corny, but they weren’t lies and deceit. Bad move for the whole campaign. HAS absolutely looks ridiculous with Gilley and friends. So out of character for a congress person.You can go to opensecrets.org and get details on her contributors. It has always been rumored here that she answered to the Dothan Five. Maybe, with Gilley, it’s the Houston Six.
Comment by anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 8:49 pm
1433….I don’t know if the Gilley debacle will help or hurt her either. Even, on the local scene. I don’t know how many people rely on the Dothan “Buzzard” for facts and information. It is a disgrace how they published Ronnie Gilley’s account of what happened without any facts to back it up. I read something on another post,and it’s true. If Gilley said he had put a binder on Epcot, and he was moving it to Elba, the Dothan Eagle would be right there to report it as facts. Educated politicos here know what is happening. I don’t know about the rest or the other part of the district. I’d like to know how people outside the district feel. I do know Henry County is against Ronnie Gilley’s bingo development, and now he’s tied himself to her. She didn’t carry Henry County in the first round, I don’t believe. She was quoted on Wiregrasslive.com by someone who spoke to her yesterday at a 4th of July activity. She was asked if she was going to stop the he said/she said politics, and she said absolutely. She went on to say that she was committed to 3 more days of the oil ads, and then she would be discussing issues she wanted to address. A little late in my opinion. I think people here are sick of the race. I do think she’s hurt the Republican party, though. I know many people that say if she should squeak by and win that they will be voting Bright in November.
Comment by anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
This does not matter a lot I don’t think but it is an interesting dynamic. Gilley and some of Smith’s strongest financial supporters in Dothan do not care for each other and share totally different views on business ethics. Specifically, two of Smith’s big supporters held a press conference against the gambling aspect of Country Crossings and vowed to fight it to the end. Also, another one of her home town supporters was livid Gilley was listed as a co host of a fund rasier and has campaigned against gambling in Alabama for a long time. But bring Beason on the scene and get Harri Anne far behind in a run off and she will run to anyone and let them be her spokesperson trying to make Jay Love look bad in what I totally believe is a mis statement of what actually took place (I don’t think for a minute that Jay Love asked Gilley for a check). Weird how Smith can party it up as seen in the pictures that were on Ricky Stokes News . com yet Gilley acts as if he never speaks to her, didn’t support her, she didn’t ask for his support, etc. Anyway, the whole point is, there is a huge philosophical difference between Harri Anne’s base of financial support in Dothan and Gilley yet she clings to him in a desperate attempt to attack Love and try to get some votes. No wonder many of the folks in Dothan have stopped writing her checks and will back someone to run against her for the Senate in 2010 should she run again.
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 6:58 pm
I don’t know if the Gilley thing will help or hurt Senator Smith. I can’t imagine it will help and if it does it will be localized and not throughout the district. But I do think that she has lost some self respect by letting all this happen. Then again, it is not just this one event but the way she has acted in the run off. She started the mud slinging - that is a fact no one can ignore. She will do anything to win, I do agree with that. It’s a shame.
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
There’s no way Jay Love asked the likes of Ronnie Gilley for a dime. that’s how self serving and self important ole’ Gilley thinks he is. Jay Love built his own fortune without the help of bingo machines and I don’t think he needs anything from Gilley. Man, that Gilley’s a piece of work and so is HAS. She will cling to anything to win including being drug around by Gilley’s coattail hanging on for dear life. HAS lost her last shred of decency when she allowed Gilley to blast Jay Love, all the while, there are pictures floating around of the two of them together and everyone is laughing at it. I hope Jay Love whips the socks off her and I hope she loses her AL seat when it comes up again. I think it’ll happen. I hope she’ll know who and what cost the elections for her.
Comment by anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Love should have stayed away from gilley - and i can tell you bobby bright will for sure. harri anne smith doesn’t give a dam$ - i think she will attach to anyone in hopes of pulling off a win - which will not happen. i also believe jay is being lied about. why would he ask for a contribution that we all know he wouldn’t take because it would show up on his fec report and he didn’t want that - nor did smith. gilley is the attack dog for smith and beason so they don’t look as bad doing it. and we are to think smith didn’t ask, want, or have gilley’s support before all this started? gimme a freakin’ break. he had already co hosted a fund raiser and then on june 27 he brought her up on stage at a party he was having for country crossing supporters. see the photos for yourself. click the link and let the pics roll. it speaks volumes.
http://www.rickystokesnews.com/cgi-bin/MyWeb/article_proc.pl?object=13225&category=102
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
it is sooooooo crazy to think jay love would have asked gilley for money. there is no way jay love would want a contribution from gilley to show up on his FEC report - nor did smith want that. the whole basis of that is nutty. yes, i am sure he met gilley just like he met other businessmen in town. you do that when you run for office, right? but to take gilley’s word as the truth….are you guys new?
I saw the piece the Dothan Eagle wrote. It should have read at the bottom “paid political advertisement by Harri Anne Smith for Congress, Inc.” I can tell their business as opposed to political reporter wrote that piece.
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
JLT - you are so lost when it comes to the actual facts of things. You must be harri anne herself to be that dumb. the whole point about gilley is…jay didn’t lie about what was said in that meeting. secondly you are acting as if smith’s ad are as true as gilley’s rant. third, grimes to vote for harri anne? well that’s a shock. he doesn’t like jay - we have known that from the start. get real.
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
I dont care how dishonest everyone thinks Guilley is. He was not helping HAS until Jay lied about him. I guess most of you do not actually know Jay Love or really anything about his political career. He has been a complete tool of his masters at each point of his career. Liberal Special interests to beat McKee. Riley and Hubbard to pass the BIGGEST TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY. Exxon to keep them from paying their taxes. Why is it a suprise that he would take money from gambling. The guy is a fraud. Just ask David Grimes who showed up and said that he was voting for Harri Anne at the Farmers Market(this will air on WSFA). David Grimes should have plenty of credibility on the matter and he will not even vote for Jay.
Comment by Jay Loves Taxes — July 5, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
Remember that Gilley originally said he was on the host committee due to appreciation to Smith for removing her Senate bill from consideration (he said that when the invites first went out) and now it has in fact changed to “my business partners asked me to be listed”. You think????? Maybe because his words now smell of Scott Beason.
Comment by Anonymous — July 5, 2008 @ 7:26 am
That picture of Smith and Gilley on stage together just days before he lashes out at Love tells me a lot. Let the photos roll and it will come up.
http://www.rickystokesnews.com/cgi-bin/MyWeb/article_proc.pl?object=13225&category=102
this was just after him co hosting a frundraiser and days before he tears in to Love. Yet he says Smith has not asked for his support? We are not stupid….well, some must be. And to say he didn;t give? Geez All he had to do was give to a friend and ask then to write the freakin’ check.
Comment by Anonymous — July 4, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
Ronnie Gilley did contribute funds to HAS’s campaign. No, he did not write the check to her, but he did give money to “friends” to contribute. This keeps his name off her contributors list. RG is a fraud. He can’t come up with the 50 million in funds for CC right now, so he will continue to talk to people about project delays. His credit is insufficent for such a loan. He can’t even get a line of credit at local hardware stores in Enterprise. Deny that! I know for a fact that Jay did not ask Ronnie Gilley for his support. Jay told me he turned down an offer from Gilley, and this was long before this story came out. Poor Ronnie just can’t be the “Big-shot” he despirately wants to be. Here is a tip for RG…money can’t buy you respect, values, or love.
Comment by RGConArtist — July 4, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
JLT - you obviously know nothing of Gilley’s reputation down here. The guy is less than honest.
Comment by GetReal — July 4, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
And Earning thier Money is correct his name was used for posts that were not his own. You can tell simply by the comments even if you do not know him.
Comment by Jay Loves Taxes — July 4, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
Michael Lowry did lie last night. Right to the face of each and every one of you. Why is it that everyone is calling Jay Love out? This is not a conspiracy to destroy Jay. People have just begun to fact check his ads which are untrue. This should come as no surprise after his 2002 campaign against Bob McKee. Stop defending Jay Love because he is lying to each and every one of you. He said Harri Anne took money from Guilley. SHE DID NOT. THIS IS A LIE. Why should we believe any of his other spin. IT IS ALL LIES TOO.
Comment by Jay Loves Taxes — July 4, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
I have no doubt whatsoever that Jay Love demanded a campaign contribution from Gilley. All of his big money in previous campaigns came from liberal Democratic sources (the state employees union, AEA, etc.). He’s a Democrat and he has snookered the 2nd district.
Comment by Anonymous — July 4, 2008 @ 11:56 am