Bad
news for Republican Roy Moore as he seeks to return to a seat he once held.
The
Alabama AFL-CIO rescinded its endorsement of Republican Roy Moore for chief
justice on Friday in anticipation of the Democratic Party changing its nominee.
The
union's president, Al Henley, said Friday the union's only endorsement of a
Republican candidate in this election was based on Moore running against
Democrat Harry Lyon, a perennial candidate who has never won an election. He
said the executive board voted Friday to rescind the endorsement because it appears
the Democratic Party may disqualify Lyon and pick another candidate to replace
him on the ballot.
"Because
the candidates in the race have changed, it is in the best interest of our
members to rescind the earlier endorsement," he said.
The
statewide union usually endorses Democrats. Henley said the union would
re-evaluate the race for chief justice based on what happens with the
Democratic Party.
State
Democratic Party Chairman Mark Kennedy is considering a voter's petition to
disqualify Lyon for not reporting his campaign contributions on time. Lyon
maintained he hadn't raised enough money to file. But at Kennedy's direction,
Lyon filed campaign finance reports Friday showing he had pumped $3,470 of his
own money into the campaign and had only one contribution of $250 from Mary
Stewart of Birmingham.
Kennedy
said Thursday he would review Lyon's status after the reports were filed. A
party spokeswoman said Friday that Kennedy was studying the reports and would
likely make a statement Monday.
If
the party disqualifies Lyon, state law allows the party to name a replacement
to take on Moore on Nov. 6 or have no candidate.
Lyon
said some Democrats have been pressuring Kennedy to drop him, and the union's
announcement made him suspicious of what awaits him. "If the candidates
have changed, who's the new Democratic candidate?" he said.
The
Alabama AFL-CIO usually endorses Democrats, but it backed Moore a week ago,
saying he had been fair to working people as a circuit judge in Gadsden and as
chief justice form 2001-2003. The voter's complaint to the Democratic Party
chairman arrived soon after the endorsement.
