Ending months of speculation, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright has decided to seek the open seat in AL-02 currently held by retiring Republican Terry Everett. Bright is well-liked in Montgomery and widely credited with the city's recent revitilazation. And while he drew several challengers when running for a third term last summer, Bright was re-elected without a runoff. Bright was first elected mayor in 1999, when he defeated 22-year incumbent and demagogue Emory Folmar.
Bright was the DCCC's top choice for the district and they appear ready to actively support his campaign:
If Bobby Bright is the Democratic candidate, this seat becomes a pickup opportunity, given his record of success. We are invested in growing our majority and have the resources to do it.
Bright will likely have the Democratic nomination to himself, while several Republican legislators and businessmen will be duking it out in the GOP primary. The district has a PVI of R+13, but has shown it’s tendency to split a ticket and support Democrats. Nearly 76% of local office holders in the district are Democrats and statewide candidates like Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks have pulled strong numbers. It’s certainly possible for a Democrat to represent this district in Congress and Bobby Bright will be a strong candidate.
Now that he’s going to run as a Democrat, how long will he remain one should he get elected?
It wouldn’t be a big concern except that he took so long to decide whether or not to run and that every article up to this point said it wasn’t known if he would run as a Democrat, Republican, or Independent.
As soon as he locks up the nomination after TX and OH, Obama should look at the prospects for what kind of Senate he’ll face. There’s a lovely woman running for Senator in Alabama who is gonna get her heart broken in November (and ours will get broken too).
Surely there is important work for this lovely lady to do. Paid work, with travel and contact with the candidate, and opportunity to refine her own political skills while networking for her own opportunities.
In other words, create a vacancy and clear the field for Ag Commish Ron Sparks.