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The following is a list of potential candidates. This early in the race there are no official candidates. The list is based off of candidates’ comments, political blogs and speculation. DEMOCRATS Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb has been mentioned as a possible candidate, although she has not publicly acknowledged any interest in the position. However, the Alabama Judicial Code states that judges must resign their position if they choose to run for any political office other than a judgeship, and it appears unlikely that Cobb would do this in 2010. Rep. Artur Davis currently represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House Of Representatives , and is the only African-American in Alabama's Congressional delegation; he has held this seat since 2003 . In early 2007 , Davis acknowledged he was strongly considering running for governor in 2010 in an interview that appeared in the ''Montgomery Advertiser''. He has expressed interest in seeking higher office on numerous occasions, but is currently undecided about his future plans. He announced in January 2007 that he would not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008 , but left open the possibility of a gubernatorial run or a run against Republican Sen. Richard Shelby in 2010. There is speculation Shelby will retire in 2010 at which time he will be 76 years old, and an open seat race would make it much easier for a Democratic win. However, with the new Democratic majority in Congress, Davis holds a seat on the influential House Ways And Means Committee , and may decide to stay in that chamber. Mike Dow , the former four-term Mayor of Mobile (1989-2005), has expressed interest making a bid for the governor’s office. He is currently the executive vice president of sales and marketing for CentraLite Systems, Inc. Dow was very popular while in office and has a large base to begin a statewide campaign. Insiders say he would be able to raise the money needed for such a campaign as well. The early Frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s nomination, and the general election, is current Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. Folsom is a widely known figure in the state and has been in politics for decades. He’s a former public service commissioner and was his party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1980 . Folsom previously served as lieutenant governor from 1987-1993, when he assumed the office of governor upon the removal of Guy Hunt , who was convicted on felony charges for misusing inaugural funds. Folsom lost the gubernatorial election in 1994 by less than one percentage point to former Gov. Fob James, Jr. , who staged a comeback after an absence from politics. Folsom returned to the private sector until 2006 when he stage his own comeback and defeat Republican Lobbyist Luther Strange , who was trying to position himself for a 2010 gubernatorial bid, in the race for lieutenant governor. Seth Hammett has been in the Alabama House Of Representatives since his election in 1978 . He was elected to serve as Speaker of the House in 1999 , and remains in that position. A native of Andalusia , Hammett’s district covers parts of Covington and Escambia counties along the Alabama-Florida state line. He briefly considered running for governor in 2006 , but opted instead to run for reelection in the House. He’s arguably the most influential Democrat in Alabama politics, however he is not well known statewide, which could pose a problem should he decide to run. Susan Parker is currently serving as one of Alabama’s public service commissioners. She served as State Auditor from 1999-2003, and in 2002 was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Senate . Of her three statewide campaigns, this was her only loss. Parker has been called one of Alabama’s most promising rising Democratic politicians and may seek higher office in the future. Ron Sparks is currently the state Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry. He was elected to this position in 2002 and reelection in 2006, both times with comfortable margins. He was the top Democratic vote getter in 2006. Sparks has stated before that he would like to run for governor, but recently there has been intense speculation that he will run against U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been urging him to do so and he’s received attention from national blogs. There is a growing draft movement to get him to enter the race, but Sparks announced on June 12, 2007, that he would not seek Session's Senate seat. Instead he is eyeing other races, including the gubernatorial race in 2010. Joe Copeland, Harry Lyon, Katherine Mack, Nathan Mathis and James Potts were all candidates for governor in the Democratic Party’s Primary in 2006, but all received less than one percent of the total votes cast. It is unclear whether or not any of these five candidates will run again, but should they decide to do so it is not likely that they will perform any better in 2010. REPUBLICANS Charles Bishop is a current State Senator whose district covers portions of Jefferson , Tuscaloosa , Walker and Winston counties. A former Democrat, Bishop served in the State Senate previously from 1983-1991. He ran unsuccessfully for his party’s nomination for governor in 1990 and 2002 . He served as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry from 1999-2003. Bishop has since switched to the Republican Party before his most recent election. There is speculation he may choose to run for governor a third time, but in his previous two attempts he failed both times to garner more than 20 percent of the votes. Beth Chapman is Alabama’s current Secretary of State. She beat incumbent Democrat Nancy Worley in 2006 by almost 15 percentage points. Chapman previously served as State Auditor from 2003-2007. Chapman seems likely to seek higher office but she may opt instead to run for lieutenant governor in 2010. Mike Hubbard is a State Representative representing Lee County . He is the current House Minority Leader as well as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party . Hubbard was first elected to the Alabama House in 1998 and has been reelected twice. He has been a close supporter and ally to Gov. Bob Riley and chaired his inaugural committee in 2003 and 2007 . Hubbard seems to be Riley’s personal choice for a successor, but will have to make significant waves over the next few years to garner more statewide notoriety. Kay Ivey is currently Alabama’s State Treasurer. She was first elected in 2002 , and then reelected in 2006 . Ivey received more votes than any other candidate for a statewide constitutional office in 2006. She’s never expressed interest in any higher office and she may choose to retire when her term expires in 2011 . However, should she decide to make a bid for governor, she could potentially be a serious contender. Troy King is the current Alabama Attorney General. He was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley to the position in 2004 when President George W. Bush nominated then Attorney General Bill Pryor to serve as a judge on the United States Court Of Appeals For The Eleventh Circuit . King ran for the office in 2006 and defeated his Democratic opponent, former Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, Jr. by a comfortable margin. Several gaffes on King’s part have made his popularity dwindle and could make a 2010 run for reelection as Attorney General difficult—and even more difficult to try to capture a higher office. Roy Moore , most famous for his removal from the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama for refusing to remove a two-ton monument of the Ten Commandments , was handily defeated by Gov. Bob Riley in the 2006 Republican Primary in the race for governor. He refused to endorse Riley after the primary and at one point suggested he would run as an Independent either in 2006 or later. He chose not to pursue that option in 2006 and he has not made any plans for 2010 public. Tony Petelos is the current Mayor of Hoover and is expected to be a candidate in 2010 according to statewide political experts. He was elected mayor in 2004 and previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives (1987-1997). Hoover is a wealthy area and Republican stronghold, and with that base Petelos could potentially raise a lot of money for a statewide campaign. Luther Strange was the Republican Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006 , defeating George Wallace, Jr. in primary that was settled in a runoff. His impressive fundraising and campaign led many to believe he was laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial bid in 2010. However, his loss to Jim Folsom, Jr. in the general election greatly reduced his chances for a run in 2010. Tim James , son of former Alabama Gov. Fob James Jr. , and Steve Windom , a former Alabama lieutenant governor (1999-2003) were both candidates for governor in the Republican Party’s Primary in 2002 , but were both defeated handily by Bob Riley. It is unclear whether either of these candidates will run again, but should they decide to do so it is not likely that they will perform any better in 2010. OTHERS No " Third Party " or Independent candidates have announced any intentions of running so far. Loretta Nall , a member of the United States Libertarian Party , was a write-in candidate in 2006, but has not said whether or not she will run again in 2010. There is some speculation she may run for a seat in the U.S. House Of Representatives in 2008 . |
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