United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state
of Alabama
in the United States House of Representatives
, coinciding with the presidential
and senatorial
elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress
from January 4, 2009 until January 3, 2011.
Alabama has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its 2007-2008 congressional delegation consisted of five Republicans
and two Democrats
. It is now four Republicans and three Democrats. District 2 changed party (from open Republican to Democratic).
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested. However, Democrat Thomas Fuller withdrew from the race on June 12, 2008, stating he was unable to wage a creditable campaign in the district.
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
This district covers southeastern Alabama, including Dothan
and Montgomery
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Pure Toss-Up'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Republican Toss Up'.
Republican Terry Everett
, who had represented the district since 1993, decided to retire. Montgomery
Mayor Bobby Bright
won the Democratic primary. State Representative Jay Love
won the Republican run-off election on July 15th against State Senator Harri Anne Smith
(campaign website). George W. Bush
won 67% in 2004 here. Bright won 50% of the vote to Love's 49%.
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Republican Favored'.
The Republican primary was uncontested, and Nick Sparks won against Greg Warren in the Democratic primary.
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
This district includes the counties of Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Jackson, and parts of Morgan. Democratic incumbent Bud Cramer has represented the district since 1990. He did not seek reelection and endorsed State Senator Parker Griffith
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Pure Toss-Up'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Democrat Toss Up'.
In the June 3, 2008 primary election, there were eight candidates running for the seat. On the Democratic side, State Senator Dr. Parker Griffith defeated physicist David Maker ( website), carrying 90% of the vote. Wayne Parker won the Republican runoff on July 15th against attorney Cheryl Baswell Guthrie (campaign website). In the primary, Wayne Parker had failed to gain the necessary 51% of the vote to avoid the runoff. Guthrie had carried 18% of the vote. Wayne Parker is a son-in-law of former U.S. Representative Bill Archer
of Texas
, once chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
A year after his election, Griffith switched parties and ran for a second term in the 2010 Republican primary.
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, coinciding with the presidential
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
and senatorial
United States Senate election in Alabama, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 4, 2008 to elect one of Alabama's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a third term.-Background:...
elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
from January 4, 2009 until January 3, 2011.
Alabama has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its 2007-2008 congressional delegation consisted of five Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and two Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. It is now four Republicans and three Democrats. District 2 changed party (from open Republican to Democratic).
Overview
| United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Republican Alabama Republican Party The Alabama Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Alabama. It is the dominant political party in Alabama. The state party is governed by the Alabama Republican Executive Committee. Most of the committee's more than 200 members are elected in district... |
1,120,903 | 60.42% | 4 | –1 | |
| Democratic Alabama Democratic Party The Alabama Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Judge Mark Kennedy. The Executive Director is Bradley Davidson.... |
718,367 | 38.72% | 3 | +1 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
15,998 | 0.86% | 0 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 1,855,268 | 88.11% | |||
| Invalid or blank votes | 250,354 | 11.89% | |||
| Totals | 2,105,622 | 100.00% | 7 | — | |
| Voter turnout | 74.11% | ||||
District 1
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested. However, Democrat Thomas Fuller withdrew from the race on June 12, 2008, stating he was unable to wage a creditable campaign in the district.
- Jo BonnerJo BonnerJosiah Robins Bonner, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and early political career:...
(R) - Incumbent (campaign website) - Thomas Fuller (D) - (withdrawn)
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
- Alabama District 1 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 2
This district covers southeastern Alabama, including Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
and Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Pure Toss-Up'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Republican Toss Up'.
Republican Terry Everett
Terry Everett
Robert Terry Everett is an American politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing ....
, who had represented the district since 1993, decided to retire. Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
Mayor Bobby Bright
Bobby Bright
Bobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state....
won the Democratic primary. State Representative Jay Love
Jay Love
Jay K. Love, Jr. is a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 74th District since 2003. He represents part of Montgomery.-Biography:...
won the Republican run-off election on July 15th against State Senator Harri Anne Smith
Harri Anne Smith
Senator Harri Anne Smith, a native of Slocomb, Alabama is a graduate of Slocomb High School and received her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Troy State University....
(campaign website). George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won 67% in 2004 here. Bright won 50% of the vote to Love's 49%.
- Bobby BrightBobby BrightBobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state....
(D) (campaign website) - Jay LoveJay LoveJay K. Love, Jr. is a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 74th District since 2003. He represents part of Montgomery.-Biography:...
(R) (campaign website) - 2nd district race ranking and background from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Alabama District 2 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- Love (R) vs Bright (D) graph of collected poll results from Pollster.com
District 3
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
- Mike D. RogersMike D. RogersMichael Dennis "Mike" Rogers , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life and education:...
(R) - Incumbent (campaign website) - Joshua SegallJoshua SegallJoshua Steven Segall is an attorney at Copeland Franco in Montgomery, Alabama. Segall is the son of a Bobby Segall, an accomplished Alabama attorney also practicing at Copeland Franco and champion of the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama.-2008:...
(D) - Lawyer (campaign website) - Mark Layfield (Independent) - real estate broker, ex-pilot, Navy veteran and 2006 candidate
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Republican Favored'.
- 3rd district race ranking and background from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Alabama District 3 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- Rogers (R-i) vs Segall (D) graph of collected poll results from Pollster.com
District 4
The Republican primary was uncontested, and Nick Sparks won against Greg Warren in the Democratic primary.
- Robert AderholtRobert AderholtRobert Brown Aderholt is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes most of the far northern suburbs of Birmingham, as well as the southern suburbs of Huntsville and Decatur.- Early life, education and career :Aderholt was born in...
(R) - Incumbent (campaign website) - Nick Sparks (D) - attorney (campaign website)
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
- Alabama District 4 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 5
This district includes the counties of Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Jackson, and parts of Morgan. Democratic incumbent Bud Cramer has represented the district since 1990. He did not seek reelection and endorsed State Senator Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. The Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Pure Toss-Up'. The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Democrat Toss Up'.
In the June 3, 2008 primary election, there were eight candidates running for the seat. On the Democratic side, State Senator Dr. Parker Griffith defeated physicist David Maker ( website), carrying 90% of the vote. Wayne Parker won the Republican runoff on July 15th against attorney Cheryl Baswell Guthrie (campaign website). In the primary, Wayne Parker had failed to gain the necessary 51% of the vote to avoid the runoff. Guthrie had carried 18% of the vote. Wayne Parker is a son-in-law of former U.S. Representative Bill Archer
William Reynolds Archer, Jr.
William Reynolds “Bill” Archer, Jr. is a former American lawyer and politician. Archer served two terms, from 1967 to 1971, in the Texas House of Representatives — changing from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1969 — and later represented Texas in the United States House as a Republican...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, once chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
A year after his election, Griffith switched parties and ran for a second term in the 2010 Republican primary.
- Parker GriffithParker GriffithParker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
(D) - State Senator, businessman, and Huntsville's first radiation oncologist (campaign website) - Wayne Parker (R) - Insurance executive, lost to Cramer in 1994 and 1996 (campaign website)
- 5th District race ranking and background from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Alabama District 5 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- LoParker (R) vs Griffith (D) graph of collected poll results from Pollster.com
District 6
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
- Spencer BachusSpencer BachusSpencer Thomas Bachus III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party and the senior member of the Alabama U. S. House delegation...
(R) - Incumbent (campaign website) - Jennifer Fuller - write-in ( campaign website)
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.
- Alabama District 6 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
District 7
The Democratic and Republican primaries were not contested.
- Artur DavisArtur DavisArtur Genestre Davis is a former member of the United States House of Representatives for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell, also a member of the Democratic Party....
(D) - Incumbent (campaign website) - Elizabeth Hayes (write-in)
CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.
- Alabama District 7 race from OurCampaigns.org
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
External links
- U.S. Congress candidates for Alabama at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Alabama U.S. House Races from 2008 Race Tracker
- Campaign contributions for Alabama congressional races from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- Election News from Alabama Live news media