Steve Windom
Encyclopedia
Stephen Ralph Windom is an American politician who served as a Senator in the Alabama State Senate from 1989 to 1998 and as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
from 1999 to 2003.
Windom's political career began in the Alabama State Senate when he served for two terms and an initial partial term decided by a special election. During this time he switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
Windom was the first Republican
Lieutenant Governor to serve in Alabama since Reconstruction. He served under Governor Don Siegelman
, (D-AL). Alabama's Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected separately.
, South Carolina. He graduated from Sidney Lanier High School. He then received his B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Alabama
. In 1974, he moved near Mobile, Alabama
and began to practice law. He married Mary Becker and had with her two sons: Robert and Thomas.
He was a delegate for Bill Clinton
at the 1992 Democratic National Convention
. He was a delegate for George Bush
at the 2000 Republican National Convention
, and served as co-chair of the Alabama Bush-Cheney campaign.
While in office, Windom was selected Conservation Legislator of the Year by the Alabama Wildlife Federation in 1995, Legislator of the Year by the National Federation of Independent Business in 1996, and Legislator of the Year in 1997 by the Independent Insurance Agents. After his career in the Senate, he joined the Sirote Permutt lawfirm. He also ran for the position of Lieutenant Governor.
Windom's 1998 campaign for Lieutenant Governor was marked by scandal when false allegations involving a prostitute were made against him by supporters of his opponent. Garve Ivey, an Alabama plaintiffs' attorney, was eventually convicted of witness tampering and criminal defamation for conspiring with private investigator
Wes Chappell to defame Windom. A former call girl
, who had been paid to make false allegations, testified at the trial. Despite the efforts to publicly malign him, Windom was elected.
Windom gained notoriety in 1999 for discreetly urinating into a jug behind his desk while presiding over the Senate
, purportedly to avoid being stripped of most of his powers as presiding officer by the Democratic majority while going to the bathroom.
Toward the end of his term as Alabama's Lieutenant Governor, Windom ran for governor of the state, but was defeated in the 2002 primary by then-Congressman Bob Riley
1998 General Election: Lieutenant Governor
1998 Republican Primary: Lieutenant Governor
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
from 1999 to 2003.
Windom's political career began in the Alabama State Senate when he served for two terms and an initial partial term decided by a special election. During this time he switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
Windom was the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Lieutenant Governor to serve in Alabama since Reconstruction. He served under Governor Don Siegelman
Don Siegelman
Don Eugene Siegelman is an American Democratic Party politician who held numerous offices in Alabama. He was the 51st Governor of Alabama for one term from 1999 to 2003...
, (D-AL). Alabama's Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected separately.
Biography
Windom was born in FlorenceFlorence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
, South Carolina. He graduated from Sidney Lanier High School. He then received his B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. In 1974, he moved near Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
and began to practice law. He married Mary Becker and had with her two sons: Robert and Thomas.
Political career
He was first elected as a Democrat to the Alabama State Senate in 1989. During his time in the Senate, he was selected to be the Banking and Insurance Committee chairman for 8 years. Although his first two terms were as a Democrat, he switched to the Republican Party in 1997 for his last term as a legislator.He was a delegate for Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
at the 1992 Democratic National Convention
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
. He was a delegate for George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
at the 2000 Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
The 2000 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2066 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush as the Republican candidate for U.S....
, and served as co-chair of the Alabama Bush-Cheney campaign.
While in office, Windom was selected Conservation Legislator of the Year by the Alabama Wildlife Federation in 1995, Legislator of the Year by the National Federation of Independent Business in 1996, and Legislator of the Year in 1997 by the Independent Insurance Agents. After his career in the Senate, he joined the Sirote Permutt lawfirm. He also ran for the position of Lieutenant Governor.
Windom's 1998 campaign for Lieutenant Governor was marked by scandal when false allegations involving a prostitute were made against him by supporters of his opponent. Garve Ivey, an Alabama plaintiffs' attorney, was eventually convicted of witness tampering and criminal defamation for conspiring with private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
Wes Chappell to defame Windom. A former call girl
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
, who had been paid to make false allegations, testified at the trial. Despite the efforts to publicly malign him, Windom was elected.
Windom gained notoriety in 1999 for discreetly urinating into a jug behind his desk while presiding over the Senate
Alabama Senate
The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens...
, purportedly to avoid being stripped of most of his powers as presiding officer by the Democratic majority while going to the bathroom.
Toward the end of his term as Alabama's Lieutenant Governor, Windom ran for governor of the state, but was defeated in the 2002 primary by then-Congressman Bob Riley
Bob Riley
Bob Riley may refer to:* Bob Riley, 52nd Governor of Alabama* Bob C. Riley, acting Governor of Arkansas for 11 days in 1975* Bob Riley , sports car designer and founder of Riley Technologies...
Later years
After leaving public office, Windom opened a legal and lobbying practice, Steve Windom, LLC. In the Republican primary on June 3, 2008, Windom's wife, Mary Windom, won the Republican nomination for a seat on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.Electoral history
2002 Republican Primary: Governor| Candidate | Votes Received | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Riley | 262,851 | 73.5% |
| Steve Windom | 63,775 | 17.8% |
| Tim James | 30,871 | 8.6% |
1998 General Election: Lieutenant Governor
| Candidate | Votes Received | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Windom (R) | 652,465 | 50.3% |
| Dewayne Freeman (D) | 644,818 | 49.7% |
1998 Republican Primary: Lieutenant Governor
| Candidate | Votes Received | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Windom | 178,065 | 52.8% |
| John Amari | 159,006 | 47.2% |