Republicans Martha Roby And Rick Barber Battle In Alabama Runoff To Take On Bobby Bright

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A mainstream Republican was challenged by a tea party activist Tuesday in the GOP runoff for a southeast Alabama congressional seat that Republicans hope to reclaim.

Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby was viewed as the front-runner in the 2nd Congressional District GOP runoff against Rick Barber, a former Marine who operates a Montgomery pool hall that hosts tea party meetings.

The winner will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright, who narrowly won the seat in 2008, the first time it didn't go Republican in 44 years.

The Republican runoff for governor also was a matchup of establishment versus outsider. Former two-year college chancellor Bradley Byrne, the favorite of business interests and top Republican officials, faced a strong challenge from state Rep. Robert Bentley, a retired Tuscaloosa physician who was running as a self-described outsider. Bentley spoke to some tea party groups during the campaign, but he is generally seen as a moderate who is willing to work with Democrats.

The winner faces the Democratic nominee, State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, in November. Because of term limits, Republican Gov. Bob Riley could not seek a third term.

Voters also were picking nominees in a heavily Democratic district expected to send a black woman to Congress from Alabama for the first time – either Terri Sewell or Shelia Smoot, both from Birmingham. Sewell, a Harvard-educated lawyer, and Smoot, a Jefferson County commissioner, sought the Democratic nomination in a runoff in the 7th District.

Roby, 34, has promised to bring "common sense conservative values" to Congress. But Barber, 35, who has no political track record, describes her as a "status quo" candidate, the daughter of a federal judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

Roby nearly won the June 1 primary outright but fell slightly short of a majority in the four-candidate field.

Election officials described the turnout as light, with most participation in the Republican runoff.

Comments

[kjohney]

09:39 AM on 07/14/2010

"he is generally seen as a moderate who is willing to work with Democrats."

And they're calling him a "mainstream" Republican? I'd call him the rarest Republican I've ever seen. A moderate Republican is a bit of an oxymoron these days, isn't it?

These guys want so badly for Obama to fail that they'd personally obstruct any initiative that might make a difference. Would they poison every well? Salt every budding sprout of economic recovery? The Republicans have been in lock step, since day one, working against everything that Obama has tried (with no dissention among the ranks). And they're saying, with a straight face that it's because "we just can't abide deficit spending". They know full well that as fragile as the recovery is right now that ending unemployment benefits will put us back into recession. Then they'll be able to say "see how bad Obama's economy is".

[Horus45]

09:53 AM on 07/14/2010

No, they're calling Her mainstream.

[fortyfiveseventy]

07:29 AM on 07/14/2010

She's cute.

[underoath]

10:51 PM on 07/13/2010

She was just announced the winner by the way

[Skidooo]

06:51 PM on 07/13/2010

Aren't these the same Republicans that not too long ago were appearing at Tea Party rallies, town hall meetings , agreeing with them and their racist signs and protesting with them? All the time you thought you were using them, they seem to have been using you to get publicity. How about that!!

[eddw88]

05:51 PM on 07/13/2010

WHo do I vote for, the insane guy or the lazy gal?

Either way, we will not get any work out of them. We already know their plans, stop, block, and hold-up.

[clearlythinking]

05:49 PM on 07/13/2010

Hmmm... see now who do you root for? The wacky tea partier in the hope that he will lose to the Dem or the mainstream candidate that, in the event the Dem loses, at least is less dangerous than the tea party candidate. What to do.

[Bat Wrangler]

04:55 PM on 07/13/2010

I love to hear Republicans spouting family values...like David Vitter, while he's surrounded by an army of prostitutes.

[clearlythinking]

05:50 PM on 07/13/2010

Vitter is a scourge on society.

[fortyfiveseventy]

07:30 AM on 07/14/2010

What's wrong with hookers?

[walleymr]

08:46 AM on 07/14/2010

he used them for diaper service

[walleymr]

08:46 AM on 07/14/2010

he used them for di.a.per ser.vice

[cargofuzz]

04:53 PM on 07/13/2010

If I have to hear "common sense conservative values" one more time, I'm going to hurl. What is that anyway?!?

[CAHertzfe]

05:44 PM on 07/13/2010

A made up bumper sticker slogan offered by Sarah Palin at her website.

[chriss0114]

11:55 AM on 07/14/2010

in Vitter's case, it means changing his diaper at least once a dy

in $arah Palin's case, it means erasing her hands so there is room to write her next speech on them

[Bat Wrangler]

04:52 PM on 07/13/2010

Just what is a 'mainstream' Republican these days?

[clearlythinking]

05:52 PM on 07/13/2010

One not endorsed by the tea party of course. Maybe THAT is the right wing conspiracy plan. Like the gas prices rising about $4 a gallon, when they came down we are feeling relieved and not complaining about the still high prices because they are better than what they were. If they keep trotting out the tea party candidates maybe we'll vote for the mainstream candidates because they represent the saner side of the Republican party. Just a thought.

[Kiffanik]

04:36 PM on 07/13/2010

Again my question to Rand Paul: If the Tea Party is in fact a bipartisan effort that has in its membership former dems, repubs, and indpendent, how come ALL of your candidates are running in republican primaries or as republican candidates?

[clearlythinking]

05:53 PM on 07/13/2010

Now why do you have to go and ask the hard questions? ;)

[IMOPINIONH8D]

06:02 PM on 07/13/2010

Exactly and if the teabag party has minorities in its membership, why don't we ever see any?

[gconners]

04:24 PM on 07/13/2010

"Roby, 34, has promised to bring 'common sense conservative values' to Congress."
I love, just LOVE, that kind of talk.
Just ONE thing: Can anyone explain what it MEANS????

[IMOPINIONH8D]

06:04 PM on 07/13/2010

Common sense conservative values; that's an oxymoron.

[Aripottah]

04:15 PM on 07/13/2010

A decision among baggers. What a nightmare.

[epforrester]

03:50 PM on 07/13/2010

Wow! They are sooo white in those photos, that they are reflecting light. This makes me more comfortable with them.

[up420oz]

03:15 PM on 07/13/2010

dont forget:

1950 - 2008

Recessions, how long they lasted, and who was POTUS at the time.


June ’53 to June ’54 Eisenhower (Republican January ’53 to December ’60)
July ’57 to March ’58 Eisenhower (Republican January ’53 to December ’60)
March ’60 to January ’61 Eisenhower (Republican January ’53 to December ’60)
December ’69 to January ’71 Nixon (Republican January ’69 to August ’74)
November ’73 to January ’75 Nixon (Republican January ’69 to August ’74) / Ford (Republican August ’74 to December ’76)
January ’80 to July ’80 Carter (Democratic January ’77 to December ’80)
June ’81 to December ’82 Regan (Republican January ‘81 to December ’88)
June ’90 to February ’91 Bush G.H. (Republican January ’89 to December ‘92)
February ’01 to November ’01 Bush G.W. (Republican January ’89 to December ‘92)


Note that the shortest recession happened during Jimmy Carter administration, and it’s the only time that a Democratic President was in office.

All this and other useful historical from 1950 to 2008 on the ANDEX chart at:

http://www.andexcharts.com/c_ewall.htm

Republicans owns Recessions!

use this anytime a con pulls out "financil responible Republican".

[ProgressiveGatorFan]

03:52 PM on 07/13/2010

Ha fanned and Faved

[gconners]

04:30 PM on 07/13/2010

You left out: December '07 to Present Bush G.W. (Republican)

[Dan1902]

02:36 PM on 07/13/2010

HEADLINE,"It's the Klan against the Man(woman)!