Democrat Ron Sparks announced Tuesday that he will not challenge Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008.Sparks, the state agriculture commissioner, said he decided not to run after talking with state Sen. Vivian Figures of Mobile, who is running.
“I believe that the best chance Democrats have to win that seat is if we are unified and avoid a primary battle,” Sparks said in a released statement.
Sparks is the second Democrat to publicly consider a campaign before opting out; U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, announced in January he would not run for the Senate next year.
Democratic primaries in Alabama have had a history of being nasty, divisive affairs in the past two decades, and it’s understandable that Sparks wouldn’t want to face Sessions with a mortal wound delivered by an opponent–or by meddlesome Republicans. Still, this is a profoundly disappointing development. Sparks could have made this a real race.
Race Tracker: AL-Sen
Does she really beleive she can win? I means seriously, this will be like GA-2004. Just because you hold soem kind of decent office, it does not mean you are state wide material.
#*(^*(^&(^*)%Q*()%^%@$%^@$*
*Anger at AL moving back to the safe republican column
Well, those comments Sparks had been making about not wanting a primary were worrisome and I guess it’s not too much of shock (though I’m very disappointed). However, Sen. Figures has been known as a potential nominee for far longer than Sparks had, so I wonder if she had cemented a good amount of support w/n Alabama and didn’t want to be pressured out.
Oh well, we should still fight like hell for this one.
*Side note, Sen. Figures usually uses (what I’m assuming is) her maiden name, Davis, on most of her materials…is she kin to Congressman Artur Davis?
at kos by people with much more knowledge about Alabama politics. He didnt want a primary for two reasons.
First, it would have split the party, along racial lines, when we will need every base vote possible to win there.
Second, Alabama has an open primary. With no one challenging Sessions that would have meant a bunch of Republicans coming in and voting for whoever was the worst candidate.
It wasnt done out of ego, it was done out of a desire to win.
http://www.legislatu…
I believe she presided over the DNC conference on the primary schedule and party diversity last year.
that Figures can be pressured out by someone like Schumer or perhaps the state party? Normally I wouldn’t be for crap like that, but if it’s a case of getting rid of Jeff Sessions using the only Democrat that could do the job (not to mention a guy who’d be an excellent senator) I’m all for getting her out of this race.
I'm not sure why she is so determined to run. It is hard enough being a black woman in southern politics, but she also has a son who's been in trouble with the law. This has been in the news and is known, and the Judicial Inquiry Commission will keep it alive. There is an investigation of the Judge in one of his cases for “unethical meddling.” This guy was apparently the go to judge if you wanted to get off.
Regarding the JIC, see
http://www.al.com/news/press-register ….
and
http://mobilebaytimes.com ….
and
http://www.al.com/opinion/press-register …
and this for her son’s latest difficulties
http://usmjparty.blogspot.com …
She could be a wonderful person, but there is a great deal of room for innuendo there, particularly with the allegation against the judge. So, I think state Sen. Figures has exactly no chance of becoming US Sen. Figures and I don’t blame Sparks for not wanting to step into that briar patch.
How would he expect to deal the Republican smear machine?