The Montgomery Advertiser newspaper's blog on all things related to Alabama politics and state government, featuring the writings of Sebastian Kitchen and Markeshia Ricks
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Bentley appoints Sparks to head rural development office
Gov. Robert Bentley appointed his former opponent and former agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks to head the newly created Alabama Rural Development Office. Bentley announced the appointment on Wednesday, when he also signed an executive order creating the office. Bentley's order also rescinds previous executive orders that created the Black Belt Action Commission and the Alabama Rural Action Commission with the missions and responsibilities of those now falling under Sparks and his office. Sparks will be paid $80,000 in his new role, according to Bentley communications director Rebekah Mason. She said he begins work immediately. The purpose of the new office, according to the governor's office, is "to improve and advance education, healthcare, and economic development in the rural areas of Alabama." Bentley and Sparks "share a common desire to create a better quality of life for Alabama’s rural areas," according to a release from Bentley's office. "During the campaign, I got to know Commissioner Sparks well and the one issue we could always agree upon is the need to improve the lives of those who live in our rural communities," Bentley said. "This is an example of how we can put politics aside and work together for the common good of all Alabamians. I appreciate his willingness to serve." Sparks said he looks forward to working with Bentley on issues affecting rural Alabama. "I look forward to implementing the governor's policies improving the quality of life in some of our state’s poorest regions," Sparks said. Bentley will appoint members to the Alabama Rural Development Office. Bentley, the Republican nominee and a former state legislator from Tuscaloosa, soundly defeated Sparks, the popular two-term agriculture commissioner, in the November election.
The Alabama Democratic Conference is endorsing Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks for governor.
Sparks, the Democratic nominee for governor, received the endorsement Sunday, after delivering a speech in which he urged the people of the state to focus on the critical issues affecting Alabamians, according to a press release.
"You must fight for your children's education," Sparks said, according to the press release. "The power is in your hands, and as governor I will fight to educate all of Alabama's children. We can improve the lives of every Alabamian - from providing voluntary pre-k for every four year old to creating quality jobs throughout our state to taking care of our seniors.
"There are people trying to divert attention from what truly matters," Sparks said, according to the press release. "We must stay focused on what matters, and I have a plan to do just that. My opponent doesn't. When I am governor, I will focus intensely and work tirelessly to educate our children, create jobs, and care for our seniors."
Sparks has received the endorsement of 46 of Alabama's 67 sheriffs, the Alabama New South Coalition, Alabama State Employees, the AFL-CIO and Gen. Wesley Clark. He faces Dr. Robert Bentley, the Republican nominee for governor, in the November general election.
Almost four dozen Democratic sheriffs in Alabama stepped forward on Wednesday to endorse their party's candidate for governor, Ron Sparks, whom they said they trust from their work with him as commissioner of agriculture. Forty-six sheriffs from Alabama's 67 counties endorsed Sparks, with several of them appearing with the commissioner on Wednesday at his Montgomery headquarters. Those sheriffs include D.T. Marshall of Montgomery County, Chip Williams of Lowndes County, Harris Huffman Jr. of Dallas County, and David Warren of Macon County. Sheriff Mike Blakely of Limestone County said they trust Sparks and have all had the opportunity to work with him and the agriculture department during his two terms. He said Sparks, who was a DeKalb County Commissioner, also understands local issues. Blakely said he has never been more excited about a campaign during his 28 years as sheriff. He said he knew of Republican sheriffs who said they would vote for Sparks, but could not endorse him because they would be kicked out of the party. Sparks said he has worked with the sheriffs on issues including theft and cattle rustling, but that most of those crimes are related to drugs. The Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Sparks' opponent, Republican state Rep. Robert Bentley of Tuscaloosa. Sparks also responded to questions about Bentley referring to him as the most liberal Democrat to run for governor, criticizing the commissioner for being pro-choice and for supporting the government overhaul of health care. Sparks said "liberal" is a catch-phrase that they try to tag people with during election years and said that, unless helping farmers and consumers is considered liberal, that he does not have a liberal record at the agriculture department. The commissioner criticized Bentley for talking about issues in Washington and not issues in Alabama. Sparks said that while he is behind in the polls and in fundraising, he would have enough money to get his message out and that polls in the primary had him and Bentley trailing. Sparks said he feels good that polls show him gaining ground on Bentley. Recent polls have shown Bentley with a 13-point to 20-point lead, but Sparks said the latest poll from the Capital Survey Research Center shows him cutting Bentley's advantage from 22 points to 13 points.
The campaign of Democrat Ron Sparks has released what is intended to be the first of a series of "Bentley's Blunders" videos, which has the Republican candidate for governor in his own words. The men face each other in the November election. Bentley talks about why he opposes mass transit in Birmingham.
Click below to see Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Bentley's latest ad. He faces Democratic agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks in the November election.
Click below to see the new ad for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks. He faces Republican state Rep. Robert Bentley in the November election.
Democrat Ron Sparks is touting his gains in the latest poll conducted in the race for governor, even though he is still 13 points behind Republican state Rep. Robert Bentley. Bentley leads the popular two-term agriculture commissioner 52 percent to 39 percent in the latest poll released by the Capital Survey Research Center, the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association. In the last poll by the CSRC, Bentley was ahead by 22 points, according to Sparks' campaign. Sparks credited the gain to his first ad, which attacked Bentley for his stance on an education lottery. The latest poll was completed Sept. 21, according to Sparks. Nine percent of people are undecided. "This is important news because it shows that as more people hear our message more people understand the differences between me and my opponent, driving us closer to victory," Sparks said in an e-mail to supporters. Bentley believes he has a larger lead. The Tuscaloosa dermatologist cited a Rasmussen telephone survey of likely voters that has him with 55 percent of the vote. In that poll, Sparks has 35 percent of the vote. "We are pleased with the results of this latest poll, but we know there's a lot of work still ahead. We are about 40 days away from the election. The only poll that matters is when the voters make their choice on Nov. 2," Bentley said in a statement. The legislator said he also believes voters are seeing the difference.
With election season officially upon us, political hopefuls are racking up endorsements. Here's the latest.
Ron Sparks, democratic candidate for governor, received the nod from the Alabama New South Coalition once again. They supported him in the primary too.
Sparks said in a statement, “I can't tell you how grateful I am to have the support of the Alabama New South Coalition in the general election," Sparks said. "The support of New South and its members in the primary was a tremendous help and gave me the momentum I needed to win in June. And now with their support I can go and win the general election on Nov. 2.”
Both the Alabama chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Benevolent Association have endorsed Democratic Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr.
Folsom said he's always worked closely with police officers in the state and was grateful to have their endorsement.
“We all owe a debt of immeasurable gratitude to the brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day," Folsom said in a statement. "The support of law enforcement was critical to my victory in 2006 and I am grateful that the law enforcement community is choosing to stand with me in this year’s election.”
Democrats weren't the only ones getting the support from key organizations that influence how people vote. The National Federation of Independent Businesses/Alabama Save America's Free Enterprise Trust has endorsed Montgomery businessman Dick Brewbaker in his quest to become the next senator of state Senate District 25.
Brewbaker, a Republican hoping to replace long term Sen. Larry Dixon who is retiring, said in a statement, “I truly appreciate the support of NFIB/Alabama. I believe small business is the foundation of our state’s economy. By helping small businesses, we can help all of Alabama.”
Democrat Ron Sparks enlisted a retired four star general on Wednesday in his battle to become the next governor of Alabama. Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who also ran for president in 2004, and Sparks talked about a state lottery to fund college scholarships, protecting military jobs here and the Democratic nominee's plan to create more jobs. Sparks faces Republican state Rep. Robert Bentley, a Tuscaloosa dermatologist, in the November election. Clark, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during military activities in Kosovo, flew to Montgomery, Dothan, Mobile, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville with Sparks. Sparks said one of his goals is to ensure Alabama is preparing for the next round of proposed changes at Alabama military bases by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission or BRAC. He said he is committed to having someone advise him in future rounds of closures and realignments to ensure Alabama is in the right position to gain rather than lose jobs. "We're going to start working on that immediately because that is jobs," Sparks said. The commissioner said there is infrastructure, especially roads, that need to be completed in north and south Alabama to help with additional personnel from the last realignment. Sparks said he talked to local leaders in Huntsville on Tuesday. Alabama gained jobs in the last round of BRAC. "BRAC is extremely important. If we don't start building the infrastructure to accept those individuals that are coming to Huntsville, then we might not be in position in 2015 or whenever it comes back around to be as successful as we have been in the past," Sparks. "I am going to have someone extremely close to me in a high level position that starts working on BRAC immediately and starts working on the importance of our military installations in the state and the services we provide and the technology that we have." Clark, who said some of his oldest Army friends are from Alabama, said he would certainly be there as a resource for Sparks. "I have the best of the best when it comes to advising me on military affairs in this country," Sparks said of Clark. Clark said Sparks has programs to bring jobs back to the state and to boost education. "I think, in Ron Sparks, the people of Alabama are fortunate that you have the right man at the right time for a tough job," he said. Sparks argues Alabamians are spending millions on lottery tickets and in casinos in neighboring states and that money could be used to educate children and to help senior citizens here. He said the money is needed to help high school graduates attend college. "I want to put a lottery in Alabama like you have in Arkansas," Sparks said to the general. Clark said some people opposed the lottery in his home state, but that "if they want to play on the numbers then let them play on the numbers and let that go to some greater good." He said the money has funded scholarships in the state. In a statement released by his campaign, Bentley said voters would have to approve a statewide lottery through a constitutional amendment after it was approved by the state Legislature. "I will allow a true up or down vote of the people on this and other gaming issues. I trust the people of Alabama," Bentley said. During an August debate in Arab, according to The Birmingham News, Bentley said he did not support a lottery and pointed out to those in attendance that Alabama voters shot down a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman a decade ago. "I remind you we have a governor sentenced to jail as a result of things he did connected to that lottery. I'm personally against it. It's not the answer," said Bentley, according to The Birmingham News. Clark campaigned for Sparks in 2006 when he was running for his second term as agriculture commissioner and swore him in after his resounding victory. Former President Bill Clinton will speak at a fundraiser for Sparks in Birmingham on Thursday. People must contribute at least $1,000 to attend and the media cannot attend the event.
Below are more photos from the Montgomery stop of Gen. Wesley Clark endorsing agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, the Democratic nominee for governor. Sparks faces Republican state Rep. Robert Bentley in the November election.
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark flew throughout the state on Wednesday in support of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ron Sparks, who faces Republican Robert Bentley in the November election. Below are photos from the stop at Montgomery Aviation.
People can click below to see the latest ad from Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Bentley, a state legislator from Tuscaloosa. Bentley faces Democratic nominee Ron Sparks, the state's agriculture commissioner, in the November election.
State Rep. Robert Bentley, a Tuscaloosa Republican running for governor, released a new ad. He faces agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, a Democrat, in the November election.
Tim James has decided his campaign can afford to recount the votes in all 67 counties in his bid to pick up almost 170 additional votes and secure a spot in the Republican runoff for governor, according to his campaign spokesman. James, a Greenville businessman, must request the recounts by noon Thursday. He requested recounts in 40 counties on Wednesday after he finished 167 votes behind state Rep. Robert Bentley in the battle to be the second Republican in the runoff. Former state senator and two-year college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne finished ahead of the pack of seven Republicans and secured a spot in the July 13 runoff. James said Tuesday, after a count of the provisional ballots, that the campaign would ask for the most populated counties to be recounted first and would have the other counties counted if the campaign had the resources. His spokesman, Brett Hall, said Wednesday night that they believed the campaign would be able to have the votes recounted in all 67 counties for less than $200,000. "Tim is happy to have a full statewide recount," Hall said. The campaign that requests the recount, according to the secretary of state's office and the Alabama Republican Party, must pay for the recount. Hall said campaign officials will be driving throughout the state Thursday to serve petitions requesting the recount to county party officials. He said probate judges in some of the state's most populated counties including Jefferson and Mobile said the recount could be done there in a day or less. "This will not be drawn out," Hall said. The winner of the Republican runoff will face Democratic nominee Ron Sparks in the November general election.
Tim James will ask for a recount in the Republican race for governor after a tally of the provisional ballots failed to yield the more than 200 votes he needed to gain to move into second place and secure a spot in the runoff. After provisional ballots from across the state were counted, James finished in third. "The vote margin remains razor thin. Because of this, I have decided to move forward with a recount of the Republican gubernatorial primary vote," James said Tuesday at his Montgomery headquarters. Former two-year college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne finished ahead of James and five other Republicans to secure a spot in the July 13 runoff. State Rep. Robert Bentley of Tuscaloosa finished in second, just 167 votes ahead of James. Through the counting of the provisional ballots, James picked up about 40 votes on Bentley. Byrne finished 13,488 votes ahead of Bentley and received 137,448 votes statewide. Those totals were called in to the Alabama Republican Party from probate offices across the state, according to a release from the party. The party will certify the vote with the secretary of state's office on Friday, but the results could be amended following a recount, according to the statement from the party. James must pay for the runoff, according to the Alabama Republican Party and Secretary of State Beth Chapman. Chapman said Tuesday that an opinion from the attorney general confirmed her office issued appropriate guidelines for the runoff and counting provisional ballots. "I have said all along that the taxpayers of Alabama should not have to foot the bill for a primary recount," she said. "Today the attorney general's opinion confirmed that we are providing sound and accurate guidance in the best possible way in this unprecedented and historic election." Chapman, the state's chief election official, and other leaders have said the close three-way election is unprecedented. James, a Greenville businessman, said he is prepared to spend up to $200,000 on the recount. He said the campaign will begin requesting recounts in individual counties this morning beginning with the most populated. The candidate said the 25 most populated counties in the state account for 85 percent of the population so the campaign will have at least those counties recounted. He said the campaign might request recounts in additional counties depending on resources. A candidate has 48 hours after votes are canvassed at the county level to request a recount so James has until Thursday to make his request to counties. James said he will also petition state Rep. Mike Hubbard, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, and the secretary of state’s office requesting the recount. "The Alabama Republican Party will proceed with the certification of the vote totals for all primary races to the secretary of state by Friday at noon, as required by law," Hubbard said. "The party respects the decision of any candidate to request a recount to ensure every vote has indeed been counted, and counted correctly. Should a recount be requested, the party will follow the guidelines set forth by the secretary of state and in accordance with Alabama law. We will work through the process in an orderly and lawful manner. Once our gubernatorial nominee is selected by the voters on July 13, we look forward to working closely with the campaign to ensure victory in November." James said he had not heard about any irregularities during voting. He said he is in a virtual tie with Bentley for the second spot. Bentley has declared he is the other Republican in the runoff and is moving forward with his campaign. "Now that every vote has been counted, I am honored to declare victory and move forward with the runoff campaign," he said. "I congratulate Tim James for waging a hard fought campaign, but am ready to debate the key challenges facing Alabama with my runoff opponent." Bentley said he will reach out to the supporters of his primary opponents and earn their votes. James said he wants to see the process move forward as soon as possible, expecting it to be done by Monday or Tuesday, so the winner following the recount can campaign in the runoff. He said the runoff needs to be done cordially and with integrity to avoid animosity that could hurt the party. James said there were no disagreements about the procedure during a Monday meeting between all of those involved. With a recount, he said the accuracy should improve and reduce the margin of error. James, his father and former Gov. Fob James, his mother, wife and other family members were at his campaign headquarters in east Montgomery on Tuesday watching the numbers come in from the counting of the provisional ballots. Bentley, a dermatologist, finished 208 votes ahead of James after the initial count. He remained in the second spot after county officials looked through the provisional ballots, which were questioned because of various reasons such as the voter not having proper identification. The winner of the July 13 runoff will face state agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, the Democratic nominee.
Republican candidates for governor meet with party about runoff
State Rep. Mike Hubbard, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, met with the potential runoff candidates for governor on Monday to talk about how the process will work and to try to ensure there will be transparency. "Given the circumstances, and due to some confusion regarding the process, we felt that it was imperative to bring all of the parties involved to the table and have an open and honest discussion," Hubbard said in a statement. "The party understands that this situation must be addressed with the highest degree of transparency, out of fairness to all candidates and to the voters." "Our goal is that when the vote is finally certified, everyone will be confident that the candidates in the runoff were chosen by the voters, and not the party." Former two-year college system Chancellor Bradley Byrne secured a spot in the July 13 runoff, but the men who finished second and third are separated by 208 votes. State Rep. Robert Bentley of Tuscaloosa, who is in the second spot behind Byrne, and Greenville businessman Tim James are waiting for the results of the Board of Registrars counting provisional ballots in their respective counties, which is expected to be completed Tuesday. Secretary of State Beth Chapman also attended the Monday meeting. Hubbard and Chapman have said that protocol must be followed, according to a release from the state party. He said each of the three campaigns understood the "importance of protecting the sanctity of the electoral process, and that the party will follow the law as it relates to any recount." "We appreciate the willingness by each of the candidates to come together and agree to at least protecting the best interest of the party, and that of the electoral process," said Hubbard. "The party's role moving forward will be to ensure that any recount is carried out appropriately, and in accordance with the law." The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee Ron Sparks in November.
With Republicans still in limbo over who will be in a runoff next month to decide its nominee for governor, Democratic nominee Ron Sparks moved forward with his campaign on Wednesday talking about taxing bingo, passing a lottery, holding BP accountable and criticizing state Republicans who have already attacked him. The popular two-term agriculture commissioner addressed the media at his Montgomery headquarters just hours after soundly defeating U.S. Rep. Artur Davis for the Democratic nomination. Sparks finished with 62 percent, claiming his third impressive statewide victory. He won his second term as agriculture commissioner in 2006 with victory in 62 of the state's 67 counties. Sparks talked about taxing gambling, the most predominant issue he pushed in the primary, about how Davis helped prepare him for the general election, and how Republicans began their attack "before the ink dried." He vowed to run a positive campaign, but he criticized the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, state Rep. Mike Hubbard, for being so quick to attack him. The party released a statement soon after Sparks claimed victory on Tuesday, chastising him for supporting the health care overhaul passed by Congress and connecting him to two convicted felons, including former Gov. Don Siegelman, who endorsed Sparks. If the Republican Party wants to use those tactics, Sparks said "the people of Alabama will know Mike Hubbard" by November. Sparks said he has supported health care as agriculture commissioner and believes people deserve the opportunity to receive affordable health care. While there is a lot of rhetoric and emotion surrounding the health care issue, he said "there's nobody in Alabama who’s read that 2,000-page document." Sparks said people should give the law a chance and work to change portions that are not effective. Sparks, still enjoying his lopsided win the night before, said he has won Republican votes before. "There are Republicans who are hurting," he said. Sparks was asked why he believed voters would approve a state lottery when it was defeated soundly in 1999, when Siegelman was governor. He said the cost of tuition has almost doubled since then to about $30,000, the cost of health care has continued to rise, foreclosures are up, the unemployment rate is higher, and the banking system and auto industries collapsed. "The environment is totally different," Sparks said. The commissioner said he would not support a proposal that directed money to areas other than pre-kindergarten and scholarships. Sparks said the lottery has been successful in Georgia and helped thousands of children attend college. "The average family will not see their child's dream come true if I am not elected," he said. Sparks said he would call a special session after the inauguration, if he was elected, to push legislators to tax and regulate bingo. "There's too much money laying on the table ... ," he said. "There has been gambling in Alabama for 30 years. We need to get our head out of the sand and (stop) pretending there's not gambling in Alabama." "The bottom line is the people of Alabama are hurting." He has proposed using the revenue from taxing gaming to help fund education and Medicaid, which he said would he in a hole without the help from the stimulus money from Washington. Since early in the campaign, Sparks has said the "people of Alabama deserve the opportunity to vote." Sparks said his administration would be more accountable. He said he would hire an inspector general to ensure "every dime is spent wisely." Sparks said he has reached out to Davis, who asked Democrats to support Sparks in his concession speech on Tuesday." He said his Democratic rival helped prepare him for the general election by working hard and keeping the campaign on alert with tough shots. "He is a good congressman. We welcome his advice," Sparks said. Sparks credited his win to his support from black political organizations, 28 sheriffs, labor unions and a variety of other groups. While other people are attacking organizations, he said he would ask "everyone for their vote." "A governor brings people together," Sparks said. While Republicans are battling in a runoff to determine who faces Sparks in the general election, the commissioner said he hopes to organize and raise money. He said there were a lot of endorsements he did not receive, but said he and his staff worked long days.
The Sons of Liberty purchased more than $1 million in TV spots to air beginning this week and running up until the June 1 election. Many of the candidates were concerned they would be targeted. They thought that they would be targeted with this large media buy in the waning hours before the June 1 primary. The ad addresses the effects of gambling, alcohol and drugs, and how candidates have refused to take a stand. The commercial shows pictures of Democrats Artur Davis and Ron Sparks and Republicans Robert Bentley, Bradley Byrne and Tim James. The groups asks people to contact those candidates and ask them whether or not they support gambling in the state. The only top tier candidate who is not shown is Republican Roy Moore.
You can view the ad by going to: http://newlibertysons.com/
U.S. Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois have endorsed fellow Congressman Artur Davis' candidacy for governor of Alabama. The men will be featured in radio spots that begin airing before the primary election, which is June 1. "I am pleased that Jesse Jackson Jr. and John Lewis support my efforts to change Alabama," Davis said. "For seven years, I have worked with both of them to pass legislation that makes America stronger at home. I know they both have a history of ties to our state, and I am honored to have their help." Davis and Lewis worked together as members of the House Ways and Means Committee. They worked together on a variety of issues including expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to provide health care to an additional four million children. Lewis, an Alabama native, is a civil rights leader. Davis and Jackson were early supporters of then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign. They both supported Obama's economic stimulus plan and both men sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The other Democrat running for governor is agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks. Seven Republicans are running for their party's nomination.
Sparks, lawmakers look at Mobile command center for spill
Several top state lawmakers, back in Montgomery after traveling to view operations to combat the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, said they were impressed with the work and they are willing to go into special session if there is a need. The Monday trip to Mobile was organized by agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor. He was joined at a Montgomery press conference by Senate Majority Leader Zeb Little, Sen. Lowell Barron, House Majority Leader Ken Guin, and Rep. John Knight, chairman of the House General Fund budget committee. Other legislators joined them to tour the command center in downtown Mobile and were briefed by officials with the nine state agencies who are helping with the effort. Barron, D-Fyffe, said there are hundreds of federal employees working alongside state employees. He said "perhaps Katrina taught the federal government some lessons." Barron said they want to ensure all needs are being met. "Nobody knows how the disaster will affect Alabama," Sparks said. Sparks said the disaster has already hit Alabama, affecting tourism and the fishing industry. "I think the fear of this has paralyzed tourism in the area," said Guin, D-Carbon Hill. Sparks and Barron said they want oil giant BP held accountable for the spill. "We want to know that every claim that is laid on the table is dealt with responsibly," Sparks said. He said they do not know how many people will be on unemployment. "This could be a long drawn out situation," Sparks said. Knight, Sparks and Barron encouraged Gov. Bob Riley to begin a public relations campaign to let people know the beaches are open in Alabama. State tourism officials have already produced commercials.
South Union Street is the blog of Montgomery Advertiser political reporters Markeshia Ricks and Sebastian Kitchen. Always check here for the latest on the Legislature, elections and other activities and players in Alabama.
