By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
We don’t know what Alabama Democrats were wanting for Christmas, but they got a candidate for Governor to challenge Republican incumbent Governor Robert Bentley. The Alabama Media Group’s Mike Cason reported on December 26th that Kevin Bass from Fayette had announced his candidacy for Governor to challenge Dr. Bentley.
Kevin Bass is a former minor league baseball player who spent over five years in the Chicago Cubs organization. The 34 year old now designs baseball bats and gloves that are manufactured overseas and sold over the internet.
After leaving baseball with an injury, Bass attended some college while building his business which he owns with his wife, Stacy Leah Bass. He attempted a baseball comeback with the Chicago White Sox before moving back to Fayette and focusing on his business interests.
Bass ran for Mayor of Fayette last year, unsuccessfully.
The Fayette businessman told Cason that he does not have a position on whether the State should expand Medicaid or not and needed more time to study this and other issues. The minor league baseball player turned businessman says he is running for Governor of Alabama as a Democrat because his family has always leaned that way.
Governor Bentley also faces a Republican Primary challenge from former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy Lee George. The popular conservative governor is sitting on $2,072,162.63 in campaign cash.
Bentley is a career dermatologist who represented Tuscaloosa in the Alabama House of Representatives before being elected Governor in 2010.
In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, incumbent Kay Ivey is facing a Republican Primary opponent in Dr. Stan Cooke. Cooke is a businessman and minister from Sumiton who most recently challenged Congressman Spencer Bachus (R) in the Sixth Congressional District in 2010. Ivey has a reported campaign war chest of $347,807.03 in her November fundraising report. Democrats have a choice of either former state Representative James Fields (D) from Cullman County or Scott Ninesling (D) who works as a paramedic and fire chief in an African oil refinery.
In the race for Alabama Attorney General, incumbent Luther Strange (R) raised $126,665 during the month of November to top all statewide candidates raising his campaign war chest to an impressive $1,049,153.79. Strange still has no announced opponent.
Alabama Democrats also have an announced candidate in the race for State Auditor. Miranda Joseph is seeking the office as a Democrat. She will face the winner of the Republican Primary, where Adam Thompson is battling attorney Ray Bryan in the June Republican Primary.
