Republican Rep. Jim Barton resigns from Alabama State House

Another Republican is leaving office to take another lobbying job. And guess what – it’s costing you the taxpayers more money.  State Rep. Jim Barton, R-Mobile, said Wednesday that he is resigning from his Alabama House seat effective immediately to take a lobbying job with a Montgomery-based governmental affairs firm.

Rep. Jim Barton - Mobile

This is what he had to say about leaving. “Representing the citizens of District 104 for the past 13 years has been a great honor, and I am proud of the many legislative accomplishments my Republican colleagues and I have been able to realize since taking over the majority,” Barton said. “But as a father and husband, I have to put the needs of my family ahead of my own political ambitions, and the business opportunity that has been offered to me is one that I must pursue.”

Barton said he will be joining the Kinney Capitol Group, a lobbying and consulting firm that represents the Alabama Retail Association, among other business interests.  Barton, who serves as chairman of the influential House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, has held the House District 104 seat in south Mobile County since 2000. You tell me he worked hard to cut the State General Fund budget to and then turn around and post a bill for a special election that the citizens now have to pay for.

“Drafting a state budget with too many needs and too few resources is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs I’ve ever been given, but it has also been one of the most fulfilling,” Barton said. Really!

He ran unsuccessfully earlier this year in a special election for the state Senate District 35 seat, losing to Republican Bill Hightower of Mobile.

Alabama GOP Chairman send a message back to Sen. Vivian Figures

Chairman Armistead says "We don't vote for our elected officials based on race."

Ala. Sen. Vivian Figures - D

The fuel between Sen. Vivian Figures of Mobile and the Alabama Republican Party has gotten a little hot between the two. State Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead is calling on Democratic Sen. Vivian Davis Figures to apologize for remarks made Tuesday in which she said she believed racism has played a role in the rise to dominance of the

state GOP.

Sen.  Figures spoke to a crowd at Over the Mountain Democrats at a Homewood Library just outside of Birmingham. Sen. Figures stated that the election and subsequent re-election of President Barack Obama triggered a backlash by white Alabamians that allowed the state's Republican Party to capture overwhelming control of the Alabama Legislature in 2010 in addition to defeating the last Democrat to hold a statewide office that same year, Lucy Baxley, then president of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

Sen. Figures continue on with "It seems to me that once Obama was elected we started hearing the Republicans attack him on almost everything he tried to do, especially in health care," said Figures. "We started hearing Republicans in office and Republicans running for office attacking the federal government, charging the federal government had suddenly become intrusive in our lives, that it was overreaching into our places of business and into our homes. And with every charge they made they used Obama's name."

But here is what the fuel is all about "I think it's racism. At its core I just do," said Figures. The question I have is whether Sen. Figures were telling the truth. Well the answer is yes, I agree because Republicans came out like wild hogs on the loose in 2010, proclaiming their mission is to take it all back for the people; speaking to their core constituents. They used every issue on a national level to get what they wanted on a local level and to this day doing the same thing.  

AL GOP - Chairman Bill Armistead

Well Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead believes the State Senator who is now the minority leader in the Senate owes them a apology. "Sen. Figures owes Alabama Republicans an apology for her offensive remarks accusing us of racism," said Armistead on Wednesday.  Chairman Armistead confirmed what Figures stated to the Over the Mountain Democrats.  "Alabama opposes the liberal policies being put in place by Obama's administration, especially the so-called Affordable Care Act. ” Armistead is referring to what they call OBAMACARE – yeah! Only majority of the conservatives and republican constituents opposes the legislation not the entire state.  

On Wednesday Alabama Republican Chairman Bill Armistead stated in his statement he released "We don't vote for our elected officials based on race, but based on their policies," said Armistead. Well Mr. GOP Chairman, the policies that liberals and Democrats represent are the policies that will help the average citizens, small businesses, education, healthcare for all, and reject special interest. It’s clear that Republicans don’t have the interest of the average citizens in mind, they only represent those that have and not needing and wants those that have not to continue to suffer and slave.  It’s clear that Republican don’t want to talk about race – period. They try and avoid it at all cost. 

Alabama 1st Congressional District is wide open for new representation and Democrats have strong showing among voters

Republicans Byrne and Young lead the Republicans, but Democrats are knocking on the door!

U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, announced last month that, effective Aug. 15, he will resign from the congressional seat that he’s held since 2003, he wants to go and be with his sister at the University of Alabama in a new position she created just for him.

With his resignation from congress coming August 15, it is sure that Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will call a special election to fill the seat being vacated by Jo Bonner.  Bonner, first elected in 2002, didn’t have a Democratic opponent in his last two elections in 2012 and 2010. Republican Mitt Romney captured 61 percent of the vote in the district against President Barack Obama in November.

This election is expected to be filled with candidates to fill this seat, and Republicans still believes that this is a conservative strong hold for South Alabama. Well I have to give my input on that, the 1^st Congressional district could be won by a Democrat if the right Democrat would run. Earlier this month Democrats agreed by saying this seat is winnable and willing to work to win it. A lot of work has to be done to win this seat and yes it can happen, voter turnout and messaging will be the key.

Major media outlets continue to drive the conversation and hype center around conservative stronghold on the 1^st Congressional District, and that it’s impossible for a Democrat to win. They send that message out every time they speak of the race or district, and they do not allow space for new opportunity or a fair voice from the Democratic views. What I am saying is if you say it over and over again, a person tends to believe just that. When polls are conducted, do pollsters conduct fair polls are do they poll a certain class of voters?  Many Democrats do not get an opportunity to participate in elections polls or surveys and especially African American or Hispanic voters, why - because that may change the dynamics in numbers and the news for the election.

With many candidates jumping into the race to succeed Rep. Jo Bonner many Republican candidates have already announced and while no Democrat has announced; Your Political Beacon has conducted a poll and survey on political candidate and matchup for the upcoming special election. Below are the results of the poll we conducted just this past weekend via phone.

We ask potential voters in the 1^st Congressional District, which party are they likely to vote for if the election was held today?

Democratic – 40%
Republican – 48%
Independent – 3%
Other – 0.05%
Not Sure – 8%

(Democrats fared well among respondents if a special election was held today, showing that this seat is vulnerable.)

We asked, what are the most important issues that you care about?

Economy – 16%
Jobs – 20%
Immigration – 12%
National Security – 18%
Taxes – 15%
Other – 19%

(There is no doubt that the voters of the 1^st Congressional district have jobs at the top of their agenda of issues that matter the most to them. 20% of the respondents said Jobs was the number one issue on their minds )

We asked about potential candidate matchup if the election was held today. We asked if the election was held today who would you support for the Republican nomination?

Former State Sen. Bradley Byrne –  20%
Businessman Dean Young – 23%
Rep. Randy Davis – 6%
Quin Hillyer – 3%
Other  - 48%  (All candidates that polled below two percent was included in other.)

We asked, if the election was held today who would you support for the Democratic nomination?

Former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow – 28%
Sen. Marc Keahey – 19%
Rep. Napoleon Bracy – 13%
U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin – 8%
Not Sure – 14%
Other – 18%

We asked, if the election was held today between to the following potential nominees who would you support?   

Former State Sen. Bradley Byrne – 49%
Former Mayor Mike Dow – 46%
Other – 5%
Former State Sen. Bradley Byrne – 49%
Sen. Marc Keahey – 45%
Other – 6%

Former State Sen.  Bradley Byrne – 56%
Rep. Napoleon Bracy – 40%
Other – 4%

We asked the same question with a different possible Republican Nominee.

Businessman Dean Young – 44%
Former Mayor Mike Dow – 40%
Not Sure – 8%
Other – 8%

Businessman Dean Young – 42%
Sen. Marc Keahey – 40%
Not Sure - 6
Other – 12%

Businessman Dean Young – 49%
Rep. Napoleon Bracy – 38%
Not Sure – 3%
Other – 10%

We asked all respondents in the survey to identify their race.

Black – 28%
Hispanic – 3%
White – 66%
Other – 3%

We asked all respondents in the survey to identify their party affiliation.

Democratic – 30%
Republican – 41%
Independent – 7%
No Answer – 17%
Other – 5%

In these surveys we polled potential registered voters in the 1^st Congressional District based on poll percentages. The possible candidates and nominees with the highest polls results were included in this report. Candidates who did not have a greater showing of 3% was not included but was listed in other. We polled a total of 1,119 potential voters via phone survey.  

Any potential listed possible Democrat that enters the race shows a favorable chance of picking up this seat come a special election.  Former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow if he runs as a Democrat has the best chances of knocking off a Republican nominee, followed by State Sen. Marc Keahey of Grove Hill, Alabama and Rep. Napoleon Bracy. Business woman Lucy Buffett announced that she is not interested in running and will not be a candidate.
Among Republicans it seems that Bradley Byrne and Dean Young will be battling it out for the Republican nomination if no other well-known candidate enters their primary race for the soon to be open seat.

Many voters are concerned about the way business is being handled in Washington, and many other concerned about how Republicans are handling the people’s business. People realize that they come first before special interest and its shows in this recent poll conducted by the Political Beacon.  

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.