By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Friday, June 19, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) released a proclamation announcing the timeline to fill Mike Hubbard’s former seat in the Alabama House of Representatives. The disgraced former Speaker of the House represented House District 79, which covers Lee County.
Also on Friday, Hubbard’s 2014 Republican Party Primary opponent, Sandy Toomer, announced his intent to seek the office.
Toomer announced on Facebook, “I want to officially announce I will seek to qualify next week for the Special Election to fill the District 79 House Seat. Thank you for your support in 2014, and we look forward to your continued support in our campaign leading up to September 13th.”
The Special Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2016. If there is only one candidate from the two major political parties so that a Special Primary Election is not necessary Special General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.
If there is a primary and no candidate gets a majority of votes cast (50 percent plus one) then the two candidates with the highest vote totals will face each other in a Special Primary Runoff Election. The runoff will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. If there is no need for a Special Primary Runoff, then the Special General Election shall be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.
If the Special Primary Runoff Election is necessary then the Special General Election will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2017.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) said, “The timeline that Governor Bentley announced will allow time for candidates to qualify and ensures that House District 79 has representation leading up to the 2017 Legislative Session.”
The deadline for major party qualifying will be Thursday, July 14, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. The two major political parties should certify their qualified candidates to the Secretary of State by no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 15, 2016.
Minor party and independent candidates seeking ballot access must file the appropriate notification, petitions, or supporting paperwork with the Secretary of State by September 13, 2016, at 5:00 p.m.
Friday, June 10, a Lee County Jury found former Representative Mike Hubbard guilty of 12 counts of felony ethics violations. Hubbard vacated the seat by law upon the guilty verdict. Hubbard was ironically the architect behind the tougher 2010 ethics law that he was convicted for violating.
