Ron Sparks Stays in Alabama Governor's Race
December 29th, 2009He Will Not Run for Congress as Some Hoped
Alabama’s Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks says he is staying in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor and will not run in North Alabama’s 5th District against Rep. Parker Griffith, who infuriated Democrats last week when he announced his switch to the Republican Party.
Sparks said in a press conference this morning at the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville that he was more committed to running for governor than ever and that he was in the governor’s race to stay.
Some Democrats in Washington and Montgomery had urged Sparks to change races after Griffith switched to the GOP. Sparks said he was honored by the interest, according to the AP, but feels he has made a commitment to the people of Alabama to run for governor.
Alabama Dems Betrayed by Parker Griffith’s Switch to GOP
Just more than a year ago, the people of North Alabama elected Parker Griffith to represent them in Congress. It was a hard fought campaign and Griffith won by a narrow margin, Sparks said in his remarks. Griffith was elected by Democrats, people who believed in democratic ideals. They sacrificed money, time and effort to put him in Congress.
“Now, only about a year later, he has abandoned the people and the values that put him in Congress, and has joined the very people who opposed him and did everything they could to defeat him just a short time ago,” Sparks said. “As a native of North Alabama, as a life-long Democrat, I want to publicly condemn Parker Griffith’s betrayal of trust.”
While Parker Griffith tries to blame the Democratic party for being “too liberal,” Sparks said, “he finds it easy to forget the politics and the people who put him in office.”
This region depends on NASA, the Space and Rocket Center, and the military for its very livelihood, Sparks said. “But Parker Griffith abandoned the majority party in Congress, the party that determines the future of thousands of jobs in this area. Parker Griffith’s act is not about liberal vs. conservative, or even party vs. party — his action can be seen as nothing more than a man deceiving others for his own good. That is irreprehensible.”
As soon as Griffith made his announcement, Sparks said, his phone began to ring. Democratic congressional leaders called “urging me to join the fight to reclaim the 5th District for the Democrat party,” he said.
Leaders in Washington did some very quick polling, consulted other leaders and told him they felt he could win this seat.
“These leaders said Parker Griffith had abandoned the values he had pledged to support,” Sparks said. “It would be an honor for me to serve this area in Congress. North Alabama is my home. But I am seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor against another man who has abandoned the values that put him in Congress.”
Sparks said his opponent, Artur Davis, voted against vital health care reform measures and to protect the rights of credit card companies rather than the rights of Alabama families.
“He thumbs his nose at the Democratic leaders of our state and panders to right-wing power brokers and big business contributors. He draws more of his support from Manhattan than he does from main street Alabama,” Sparks said. “While I am honored that many believe I am the person for the job in the 5th Congressional District, I must make it clear that I am in the governor’s race to stay.”
To the people of North Alabama who supported Parker Griffith, Sparks said, “I ask you to support me against the same political betrayal in my fight to win the governor’s office. For those of you who gave your money to Parker Griffith, ask him to send it back. We have a campaign that can use your time and your contributions. Together, we can and will build a better future for Alabama.”
Meanwhile, the Alabama Democratic Party released the following statement on the announcement.
Alabama Democrats respect the decision of Commissioner Ron Sparks to bypass the race for Congress in the 5th District and remain in the race for Governor. The dynamism of having both Congressman Artur Davis and Commissioner Ron Sparks in the Democratic Primary Race for Governor is stimulating many new ideas and much meaningful debate for Alabama voters headed into 2010.
“More and more voters are seeing both Davis and Sparks as more ‘gubernatorial’ than the entire Republican slate. Their platforms regarding educational excellence; maintaining a vibrant agricultural base; new partnerships for economic growth and the creation of new jobs, as well as their renewed emphasis on ethics and personal responsibility are boding well with the electorate,” party chair Joe Turnham said. “With each passing day I firmly believe that either of these gentlemen have a real solid chance to become Alabama’s next Governor.”
The 5th District is “teaming” with citizens who want to serve their state and nation in the United States Congress and who believe that they can run and win as Alabama Democrats, Turnham claimed.
“In the last 72 hours I have talked with no less than six outstanding men and women who have expressed serious interest in running and winning in the 5th District as a Democrat,” Turnham said. “Voters believe the odd and bizarre recent actions and behavior of Parker Griffith, combined with the infusion of new energy and passion for real integrity and honesty from the many Democrats, Independents and thoughtful Republicans who supported him last year, will spell electoral doom for Griffith and will open the race up for a new and improved Democratic Nominee in 2010.”
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December 29th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Sparks chances of getting elected to Congress might be better than his chances of becoming governor, depending of course on who the Republicans nominate.
Regardless of how infuriated the Alabama Democratic Party leadership might be about Parker Griffith, voters in this state have historically not given a tinker’s dam about people switching parties. Dick Shelby is a good example of that, as was Fob James.
The Dems need a high profile candidate to oust Griffith, and that would be Sparks. With 27 to 37 freshman Democrats at moderate to high risk in the 2010 mid-term House elections, Sparks probably should make the congressional race, which he could win much easier, in my opinion, than the governor’s contest.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Congress would seem to be the more important contest right now, although according to my analysis, Sparks has the best chance of being elected governor than any other Democrat, other than Jim Folsom Jr.
So far, it looks like the Republicans in the race are content to run stealth campaigns like Bobby Jindal in Louisiana. With a sizable portion of the black population of New Orleans still living like refuges in other states, Jindal walked into the governor’s office as a Republican without participating in a single debate. All he had to do was run a few TV ads in the final weeks calling his opponents “too liberal for Louisiana,” and badda bing, he was elected.
In the absence of something dramatic happening here, I suspect Bob Riley’s heir apparent Bradley Byrne will easily win the governor’s race in Alabama in 2010, unless Ten Commandments Judge Roy Moore can mount a dramatic challenge. The Democratic Party has no money or leadership and just allowed the Bush Justice Department to criminalize most of their first team players for six years without putting up much of a fight.
As I have told the trial lawyers over and over and over again, in the absence of a fully-funded Web Press, the Newhouse/Advent/al.com gang will push the Republican nominee into the governor’s mansion and give them a seven year honeymoon, as they did Bob Riley.
Funding the alternative, independent Web Press is the only prayer the Democrats have to hold a majority in the Legislature as well, and I don’t mean anonymous blogs. Unfortunately, I see very little evidence they understand this yet, so they will most likely have to lose big this year before they will wake up and smell the coffee…