Posted by 
Lance Griffin’s story in the Dothan Eagle confirms a story reported here in the Parlor that a Wiregrass group is interviewing potential candidates for the 2nd Congressional District race next year. The group, who may have been characterized too narrowly in the earlier post as “Houston County GOP,” hopes other potential Wiregrass candidates will choose not to run once the group throws its support behind a chosen candidate. The plan is to better the chances that the next representative is from the Wiregrass rather than the Montgomery area.
From the Dothan Eagle:
[Dothan businessman Charles] Nailen … did confirm that he has met with a group of “interested” people from the Wiregrass who have the intention of backing a single candidate from the area during the primary.
“There is a group of interested private citizens from throughout the Wiregrass that have come together with the interest of getting the Wiregrass behind one candidate,” Nailen said. “They have been working diligently since Everett announced his retirement. I interviewed with them earlier, and told them I would honor their request (not to run) if they got behind someone other than me. However, if they endorsed me, I hope other candidates would be respectful of that process as well.
“Current conventional wisdom indicates if more than one person runs from the Wiregrass, then possibly neither of those running from here has a chance of winning,” Nailen added. “It could splinter factions and finances.”
Related Articles:
Legislative Dispatch
Purple Dot Connection
2010 Big List
2010 Senate Elections
2010 House Elections
Press Releases
Who are the would be kingmakers, and why is no one up in arms about this? Isn’t the about voting, and not who the powers that be try to foist upon the people of the district?
I wonder why Mark Culver the Houston County Commission Chairman… was not listed by this pollster? He has a lot more support then millionaire Charles Nailen for sure.
Culver has not been mentioned as someone that is truly interested. Kingmakers maybe but I hope the next congressperson is from souetheast alabama and not monkey town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice idea to have a unified front from down here to divide and conquer.
Why does it matter if the person is from the Wiregrass? Does it matter where the person lives as long as that person is the best leader for the district. It seems pretty ridiculous and juvenile that some people in the Wiregrass think that only a person from Dothan should be considered as the most qualified.
Well said bb.
Nailen——————————————————-joke.
Carolyn is an idiot.
Preach on BB. We need to be looking for the most qualified the most committed and the person that can do the most for the district, the state and the country. There appear to be some in the wiregrass that believe the state senator from the area should be handed the nomination and start her reign. it is ridiculous when there are a lot of interesting and and hard working candidates out there that would make one helluva congreesman. southeast alabama or not…this race is wide open and those that act like it is not are touting candidates for the wrong reasons.
What on earth? If you link to Dothan Eagle story and read poll results Harri Anne Smith realeased…the numbers add up to 130%. How is that possible.
What kinda of poll is that?
From Dothan Eagle
Polling Firm: Market Research Insight, Pensacola, Fla.
Paid for By: Harri Anne Smith
Polling Sample: 400 likely Republican primary voters in Alabama Congressional District 2
Question asked: “If the election were held today, which of the following candidates would you favor?”
Results:
Harri Anne Smith (Senator, Slocomb) – 43%
Undecided – 30%
Tim James (Businessman, Greenville) – 27%
Jay Love (Representative, Montgomery) – 18%
David Grimes (Representative, Montgomery) – 9%
Charles Nailen (Businessman, Dothan) – 5%
– Margin of error +/- 5%
It is actually 132% Leave it to harri anne and her pollsters to come up with this biased nonsense.
BK and all, I have more information on that poll posted here.
I think it will at least begin to clear up any confusion.
[...] The story heard here is that Harri Anne Smith has been putting off meeting with the Wiregrass cabal (who is trying to find the one best Wiregrass candidate for AL-02) until she had the results of her poll in hand. [...]
[...] To be seen… will the group get its wish and have a field clear of other Wiregrass candidates? Dothan Businessman Charles Nailen had said he would not run without the group’s support, and is asking his supporters to back Smith. [...]
[...] The Political Parlor has confirmed that the vote of the Wiregrass’s “unofficial Congressional Selection Committee” was close. Sen. Harri Anne Smith (R – Slocomb) received the backing of the group by garnering 10 votes. Dothan businessman Charles Nailen received 7 votes, and Enterprise Mayor Ken Boswell received 3 votes. Committee members who were not present were not allowed to vote. There are about 26 members in all. (Read more here in a previous post.) [...]