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Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R – Birmingham) announced to a crowd at a Tuscaloosa fundraiser earlier this month that former state Senator Gerald Dial will run as a Republican for the Senate District 13 seat that he held six terms as a Democrat.
Dial as a Democrat became too rebellious for the likes of Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron who helped Kim Benefield defeat Dial in the 2006 Democratic primary. Benefield went on to win the seat in the general election.
Dial crossed party lines that campaign season to cut a TV commercial for Republican Governor Bob Riley’s re-election campaign and later was appointed by Riley to head a new Rural Alabama Action Commission.
Dial has already indicated that his days as a Democrat are behind him, telling the Political Parlor this summer, “If I run for any office, Senate, President, anything for the rest of my political life, it will be as a Republican.”
Don’t look for Dial’s announcement soon. He has already suggested (though laughingly) that the governor may give him the Bill Johnson treatment and expect him to resign from his post if/when he becomes a candidate.
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What is it with Jabo announcing other people’s plans for them? Remember when he told reporters Tom Butler was running for Congress as a Republican? Butler was so mad.
Best combover in the race.
He may have laughed, but shouldn’t he resign if Johnson had to? What is the hard and fast rule here?
Now’s the time for Dial to get a hair makeover as he transitions to the GOP. Getting rid of the combover would make him look younger.
Great recruitment GOP Senators…when Americans and Alabamians are looking for fresh, new, conservatives, you recruit an old time Democrat politician. Way to keep up with things. Dial needs to be beat in a Republican primary.
Yes, it’s really pathetic how the Republican leadership appears want to take power with a bunch tired old political insiders.
They want people who will simply take orders and not real men and women of principle.
How old is that Parker Griffith guy? 67 or 70 Hinton Mitchem 72, Wendell Mitchell 69, Bill Dukes 83, Demetrius Newton 82.
Talk about tired old insiders
I think Dial has a good chance to reclaim his former seat. That being said, he’s a fine fellow, but he gets the award for the Legislature’s worst hairdoo.
Come on folks, Dial has been a republican for quite some time. He’s just finally going to be on the republican ticket! He’ll win without any problem. Benefield has not kept in touch with her district’s voters at all. Been too wrapped up in the Montgomery mess! So long Kim!!! Welcome back Senator Dial!!!!
Gerald Dial is as much of a Democrat as Zell Miller.