Alabama 1st congressional candidates money race off to a good start; Maybe?

Have the big elephant belly dried up?

There are so many Republican candidates running for the 1^st congressional seat in Alabama, and it’s hard to keep up with who is really running.

Several Republican candidates have filed with the FEC to make a run for the soon to be vacant seat in South Alabama. The congressional seat is being vacated by Republican Congressman Jo Bonner, who is resigning in August to take a job in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama where his sister is in charge.  Many of the candidates have great ties to the Republican establishment and party. Not sure which candidate is the true Tea Party favorite, if any is? But this race is getting crowded even the more and the money is beginning to come in.

The early campaign fundraising totals is in and some may say that it’s off to a fast start and some may say it’s too early. Well I have a different view of all that, I say the Republican fundraising is off to a slow start; and I wonder why?

In early campaign finance reports, Republican Dean Young leads the Republican candidates and Bradley Byrne follows. Dean Young's brought in $141,943 for his campaign so far, which gave him the lead out of the five candidates who submitted campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission.  However, Young did not raise a total of $141,943, a $129,500 of that report he loaned himself and not from fundraising. Dean Young only raised a total of $12,443 for his congressional campaign.  This Orange Beach businessman maybe leading in campaign finance reports, but he is not leading in getting money from his republican supporters.

Second to Dean Young is Republican Bradley Byrne; Byrne led the field in terms of raising money from outside contributions with a total of $75,882. Following Byrne is Quin Hillyer bring in $62,779.00 and Chad Fincher with a showing of $45,890, which Fincher also loaned himself $10,000.00. Jessica James a former State School Board Candidate says he brought in $2,750.00. The other Republican candidates and independents have not filed a report to show they have reached the threshold required to report finances. Candidates are not required to register with the FEC until they receive contributions or expenditures in excess of $5,000.

It is clear that all the Republican candidates have not raised much money, and could that be because donors and friends are waiting to see who jumps in the race when qualifying ends and the real race is one. Or maybe donors and friends are not ready to give to a Republican candidate. Many are boosting the fundraising for the Republicans, but it’s not a boosting moment because it’s not all that great at the moment. With such a negative image on the Republicans and Washington, voters, donors and friends maybe looking for something different, such as a new candidate or a Democrat to run and support.

When the next campaign report comes out we should be able to get a better look on the fundraising for this race, but as of today the numbers are low and questionable on where is the support and donors for the Republicans. Have the elephant belly dried up?

A special will soon be set once the seat become vacant by Rep. Jo Bonner a Republican from Mobile. Bonner has announced that he will resign on or about August 15th. Once he resigns Gov. Robert Bentley will call a special election to fill the seat.

Alabama 1st is wide open; Mobile Mayor Mike Dow or Lucy Buffett could help Democrats win

Now that it’s official and everyone may or may not know that Rep. Jo Bonner is retiring from congress. Truly he is abandoning his office that the voters of South Alabama elected him to full-fill almost if not a decade ago. Jo Bonner will make it official when he resigns and leave office early on August 15, and take a new job with the U. of  Alabama.

Former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow

As I mentioned on yesterday that this is truly cowardly leadership and representation by Congressman Bonner to abandon an elective office early instead serving the out his term. Now the voters and citizens of the 1^st Congressional District of Alabama will have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a special election, and turn around and go back to the polls in June of 2014 for another primary. But Republicans say they are all about saying tax dollars and managing your tax dollars well. Really?

With a soon to be special election on the horizon, candidates are already building their campaigns behind closed doors, phones are ringing and donations are being sought. I am certain that there will be an estimated eight to ten candidates in this race if not more. The voters will hear from the young and old, newcomers and political old heads. A choice has to be made, but will the choice be confusing?

This special election could be wild and ugly, and a candidate with little money and big name recognition could actually win the race. How so, because after the crowded field of Republicans and so call Republicans get through cutting throats, they will be left scrambling to get cross the finish line. With Democrats all they have to do is get started early as I sure the Republicans will, and unite behind one candidate, raise money, create a good and solid public relations team and campaign and they have a chance to win during the general election.

A poorly ran campaign will not get you anywhere, and if the democrats are not rallied together in unity and one message then it will be another campaign to write off.  In this special election the Democrats will have to select a candidate that has some money already and can devote it to a campaign, the candidate also must be a candidate with name recognition, someone the people in this area has heard of before and have knowledge about; candidate that will be moderate on some issues and be able to win over both Republicans and Independents. Is it possible? – Yes!

Mike Dow is the former Mayor of Mobile,  spent many years working to unite all communities and done a great job, boosted the local economy and help brought thousands of new jobs to the area as mayor. Mayor Dow would be the perfect candidate to run as Democrat, he would win the city of Mobile and draw a large voting block from the rural areas and Baldwin County. I do believe he will draw voters from both parties and reach the independents to carry the seat for Democrats.

Lucy Buffett

My other choice would be Lucy Buffett a well known business owner in Gulf Shores and has name recognition with her brother Jimmy Buffett. There is much love on the Gulf Coast for “Buffett”.  How her candidacy would help, believe she would be a great moderate Democrat, a candidate that will draw a large white voting block and pick into the voting block of conservatives and independents in Baldwin Co. that would help her win the race. He is beautiful and would appeal to the voters.

If either decides against a run there is State Sen. Marc Keahey of Grove Hill and maybe someone else that will have the courage to run. Whoever decides to run and jump in the water, better be able to swim. The Democrats will need to mount a strong campaign and put forth a real advertising campaign like it was their last race in history early on.  

For the Republicans there are speculations that several big names may enter the race, former candidate Dean Young, Circuit Judge Ben Brooks, former Sen. Bradley Byrne, Commissioner Connie Hudson, State Rep. Chad Fincher, Sen. Bill Hightower, County Sheriff Sam Cochran and more.

This will be an interesting race to watch over the next few months. Get your notepad ready to take notes, because I’m pretty sure you don’t want to miss this one. 

Congressman Bonner announces his resignation from congress

U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, a Republican from Mobile, announced today that he will resign from Congress later this summer and take a job at the University of Alabama.

Congressman Bonner is expected to resign his seat on our nation capitol around August 15, 2013 and begin his new career at Alabama on August 16, 2013. Bonner who is 53, is the 5^th congressman to represent Alabama's 1st Congressional District.

Rep. Jo Bonner - R - Mobile

The only known reason for Bonner to resign from congress at this point is to accept a job offered by his sister the new president of Alabama. However Jo Bonner was expecting to face another challenge next year in the Republican primary for his seat that make been a hotly contested race. Bonner has lost some support among local conservatives and that could have been building against him and put his campaign into jeopardy. 

Luckily his sister gain the big time job at the University of Alabama as President, and offered her brother an opportunity to avoid such an expensive and hotly contest congressional race in 2014.

Many names are beginning to float around as possible candidates to run for the soon to be vacant congressional seat. More than likely the phones hot tonight and I am sure that the Republican ticket will be full and a run-off will be held to determine a republican nominee. On the Democratic side with the State Democratic Party in shambles is unknown if any Democrat will enter into this race. I believe a Democrat has a chance in this seat with a special election.

While conservatives have shown their true spirit and motives over the past several years, people are truly looking for better and change. If the right Democrat enters the race there is a possibility that a Democrat can carry this seat for the first time in decades. A moderate Democrat will have to be the choice and with established name recognition and without a primary.

Jo Bonner is another Republican to resign from elected office in the middle of a term, which plainly shows real cowardly leadership and representation from an elected official.