By Brandon Moseley and Susan Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
Campaign fund raising is well under way even though many candidates have little or even no opposition.
First among these is Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R). Governor Bentley has been hard at work raising money preparing for the June 3rd Republican Primary. The popular Republican Governor and longtime Tuscaloosa Doctor is reporting $1,425,926 ready and waiting for an opponent. His only opponent thus far is Primary Challenger Stacy Lee George with a $71.68 reported balance. As of press time, no Democrat has come forward to challenge Republican supremacy in the state.
In the Alabama Lieutenant Governor’s race, incumbent Kay Ivey (R) is reporting $124,597. Her Republican Primary Challenger Dr. Stan Cooke reported $2024, but his campaign just launched last month.
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) has raised $869,501 to this point to fight whatever 2014 opponents are coming down the road.
Alabama State Representative John Merrill (R) from Tuscaloosa is reporting a narrow lead in fund raising for the office of Alabama Secretary of State with $122,882. Reese McKinney is running in second with a reported balance of $90,141 and Jim Perdue is running a distant third at $9,849. The office is open because former Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman (R) could not run again due to term limits. Chapman resigned over the Summer to take a position with ALFA. Governor Bentley appointed former Alabama Secretary of State Jim Bennett (R) to fill the remaining year of Chapman’s term.
Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan has already raised $101,028 although he does not yet have a formally declared opponent.
Alabama state Treasurer Young Boozer has raised $47,514 to this point.
In the State Senate, the five candidates reporting the most money are Senator Arthur Orr (R) with $274,915, Sen. Roger Bedford (D) with $166,079, state Representative Jim McClendon (who is challenging Sen. Jerry Fielding (R) in District 11), Sen. Slade Blackwell (R), and Sen. Tom Whatley (R) with $84,115.
In the Alabama House. Representative Paul DeMarco (R) is reporting a war chest of $206,309. DeMarco is followed by Rep. Steve Clause, Rep. Victor Gaston (R) $116,277, Charlotte Borden Meadows (R) with $113,292, and Rep. Randy Wood with $96,544.
Charlotte Borden Meadows is running for House District 74 which was vacated by Rep. Jay Love (R) when he resigned to accept a position directing an education reform group. Meadows is running against Dimitri Polizos, and Heather Sellers in a special election on Tuesday, October 8.
The winner of the Republican Primary will fill Love’s unexpired term because no Democrat qualified to run in the heavily Republican district. However political insiders have told ‘The Alabama Political Reporter’ that Rep. Joe Hubbard (D) is considering running in District 74 in 2014 since his current District was moved to Shelby County during redistricting.
