Alabama GOP will have candidates across the ballot -- and so will Democrats
Final Democratic numbers were not complete as of press time Friday evening. But the party through Thursday showed signs of improvement over 2014. The party has two prominent candidates — Former Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox — running for governor; candidates running in every congressional district and more state House candidates than in 2014.
“There are a lot of young candidates and female candidates and people who did not run for office before,” said Nancy Worley, the chairwoman of the Alabama Democratic Party. “That I think is a good sign, that we have new interest in people wanting to improve government, in one way or the other.”
Through Thursday, Democrats had candidates for most constitutional offices save State Treasurer and Agriculture and Industries Commissioner. Will Boyd was the Democrats’ only candidate for lieutenant governor. Attorneys Chris Christie and Joseph Siegelman — the latter the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman — will seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bob Vance, who nearly defeated Roy Moore in the 2012 chief justice race, said Friday he will seek the office again.
The party also had candidates running in every congressional district, with a primary set for the 2nd district between Tabitha Isner and Audri Scott Williams and primaries for the 3rd district in east Alabama and the 4th district, taking in much of west Alabama and some of the northeast part of the state.
In the Legislature, Democrats will have candidates in at least 63 of the House’s 105 districts, and 20 of the 35 Senate districts. The party had 56 House candidates in 2014, and 23 Senate candidates that year.
There will be at least 11 contested House Democratic primaries and four contested Senate primaries — including the election for the Montgomery-area seat held by Democratic Sen. Quinton Ross until last fall. Ross resigned to become president of Alabama State University.
Friday’s qualifying also pointed to a geographic shift for the party. While Democrats remain dominant in the Black Belt, the party put up comparatively fewer legislative candidates in north Alabama, once a Democratic stronghold. Instead, Democrats are mounting challenges in traditionally GOP suburban districts, particularly in Jefferson County.
Both trends reflect December’s special U.S. Senate election, won by Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney, over Republican Roy Moore, a former Alabama Chief Justice. Moore did well in northeast Alabama and much of north Alabama outside Huntsville, where Jones dominated Jefferson County.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/southunionstreet/2018/02/09/alabama-gop-have-candidates-across-ballot-and-so-democrats/325569002/
