Plus more results from Tuesday’s state runoff election
In the absence of a designated successor, we often find ourselves heading toward chaos.
George W. Bush anointed no one as a possible Republican successor to the presidency. The mad scramble left an opening for the Democrats to exploit.
Gov. Riley had no preferred candidate in the GOP to follow in his footsteps. Well, at least not until Saturday, when he finally tossed a late endorsement to Bradley Byrne.
It has been chaos in the Republican camp in Alabama leading up to Tuesday’s runoff election. The two biggest names running for governor were Tim James, the son of a former two-term governor, and Roy Moore, former chief justice of the state supreme court — and they finished in third and fourth place.
The runoff featured front-runner Byrne, former chancellor of the state’s 2-year college system and scourge of the Alabama Education Association. It also had a dark horse, Robert Bentley, a doctor and state representative.
Tuesday night, Bentley, shown at right, pulled off the upset by soundly defeating Byrne 56 percent to 44 percent in unofficial results. He had trailed Byrne just 6 weeks ago in the primary election 25 percent to 28 percent.
City folk may have liked Byrne, but it was country folk who supported Bentley. Rural counties overwhelmingly went for the doctor over the lawyer.
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Runoff winners and losers from Tuesday
around Alabama and metro Birmingham.
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Bentley faces Democratic challenger Ron Sparks, shown at left, who pulled off an upset of his own in knocking out Artur Davis, the 7th district congressman.
As many of you may not know, Sparks has served two terms as the state’s agricultural commissioner. And even if you did know that, your Sparks knowledge probably ends there.
The two unknowns, Bentley and Sparks, are left to battle for the state’s top office. Who’da thunk it 2 months ago?
Headed toward chaos? No, just the orderly progression of moneyed interests.
In this year’s election, those two interests are the AEA and the gambling lobby.
The AEA and Byrne have been at odds over merit pay and tenure law for years. Naturally, the AEA bankrolled millions of dollars in anti-Byrne ads during the runoff campaign.
It has also be a big contributor to … Sparks. Both sides covered.
Note to AEA head Paul Hubbert: Next time, it’ll probably be cheaper just to run for the governor’s office yourself in 2014.
Make no mistake: A teacher’s union isn’t the same as an educational reform group. One is there to maintain benefits and protection for teachers, even as the state remains in the Bottom 2 in education decade after decade.
As for bingo, Sparks wants to legalize it and tax it, following a public referendum. His campaign has been funded in part by gambling political action committees.
No such funding appears to have come into Bentley’s largely self-funded campaign. While personally against it, Bentley says he’s OK with a state referendum on bingo, which, if approved, should be taxed.
Are Alabamians screaming for bingo, or for other forms of gambling from dog racing to lotteries to casinos? We may soon have our say at the ballot box.
The same ballot box where we’ll still be scratching our heads on Nov. 2 over the curious race between Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks.
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More Vote 2010 coverage.
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• U.S. House: On the Democratic side, Terri Sewell beat Shelia Smoot in the District 7 race to replace Artur Davis. On the Republican side, Don Chamberlain beat Chris Salter for the nomination.
The heavily gerrymandered district favors Democrats. Should Sewell win in November, she would be the first black female Representative in state history.
• Attorney general: James Anderson clinched the Democratic nomination, defeating Giles Perkins. Anderson faces GOP nominee Luther Strange.
• Jefferson County Commission: The members will be all new in the fall after the last standing incumbent went down Tuesday.
In District 1, George Bowman beat Johnathan Austin in the Democratic runoff. If this sounds familiar, he beat Austin a few weeks ago in the special election to fill the seat immediately. Bowman faces Republican Greg Stanley in the fall.
In District 2, Democrat Sandra Little Brown beat Gary Richardson, winning the seat with no Republican opposition.
In District 3, Jimmie Stephens defeated incumbent Bobby Humphryes Jr. on the Republican ticket. He’ll face Vivian Ford, who defeated fellow Democrat Ron Yarbrough.
In District 4, Republican Joe Knight beat Ronnie Dixon. Knight will face Democratic challenger Roy Wood.
• Jefferson County Sheriff: Willie Hill defeated Ron Blankenship to win the Democratic nomination. Hill battles Republican incumbent Mike Hale.
Election Day is Nov. 2.
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Also:
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Who will win the governor’s race in November, Bentley or Sparks? Who should win? Tell us in the comments.
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More Vote 2010 coverage.
Davis’ congressional vote against health care reform laws earlier this year was the deal-breaker for many black voters, and white Democrats, too. His vote, in their eyes, was a betrayal of trust. While black voters have always been willing to forgive — they even helped the soften segregationist George Wallace to a fourth term as governor — this time, they were unwilling to forget.
Vickii Howell is editor in chief of 
