Ron Sparks for Senate?
UPDATE: Daily Kos has picked up the story, and Dan weighs in as well. And Danny.
I’ve been casting around for someone to challenge Jeff Sessions (R-AL) in the 2008 Senate race — someone with the good reputation and name recognition to, at the least, make a respectable showing in this far too red state. Artur Davis isn’t running, and the other good people I could name aren’t well known around the state. However, it looks like Swing State Project might have found the one: Agriculture & Industry Commissioner Ron Sparks.
Ron Sparks has been Alabama’s Agriculture and Industry Commissioner since he was elected in 2002 over his Republican opponent by a 51-46 margin. In 2006, he was one of Alabama’s top vote getters, enjoying a 59-41 victory while winning 62 of the state’s 67 counties. During his first term in office, he secured new trade markets for the state in Cuba, improved Alabama’s school lunch system from a grade of F to a B-plus (you can see Sparks’ video message on YouTube), moved to protect Alabama’s water resources, and generally served as a hard-nosed consumer safety advocate. His successful tenure allowed him to build a broad coalition of support, from the Alabama Education Association, to the conservative Alabama Farmers Federation (which endorses very few Democrats), to the AFL-CIO and the Business Council of Alabama. And he was able to build this coalition all while being a fiery, populist Democrat.
Read the whole thing and let me know what you think. Is he the right person to challenge Sessions? And if so, how do we encourage him to run?
March 26th, 2007 at 9:24 am
I don’t know, yet. He definitely had some support during the elections for HIS office, but I don’t think enough people are familiar with him to elect him to this high an office– at least not yet. Name recognition can be everything, so he’ll definitely need a good publicist in his campaign.
March 26th, 2007 at 10:13 am
Sparks did win big in a statewide race, even though his name wasn’t first on the ballot (opponent was named Lipscomb) and he had a big ol’ D after it. The only other viable candidate is Artur Davis, and he’s already said no to 2008.
I’m just about ready to support A(nybody) B(ut) S(essions).
March 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
This is just a hunch right now, but keep an eye on Scott Beason. He’s running for something. I just don’t know what right now.
March 26th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Hmmm. I can’t see him running against Sessions for the nomination in 2008. Maybe Shelby’s seat in 2010?