United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 congressional elections in Alabama were held on November 2, 2010, to determine will represent the state
of Alabama
in the United States House of Representatives
. Alabama has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 112th Congress
from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. The primary elections were held June 1, with the runoff on July 13.
Districts 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 were considered safe seats for the incumbent party (the Democratic Party for District 7 and the Republican Party for the other districts), according to the Cook Political Report and CQ Politics, and as predicted the incumbent party held those seats. Meanwhile, Districts 2 (a Democrat-held seat) and 5 (a Republican-held seat, though the incumbent was a Democrat who switched parties
in 2009) were considered up for grabs. The Republican Party gained District 2 and held District 5.
Republican incumbent Jo Bonner
ran for reelection. In the primary, Bonner won against Orange Beach
real estate developer Peter Gounares and Clint Moser.
The Democrats did not field a candidate for this seat. Bonner was challenged in the general election by David M. Walter, nominee of the Constitution Party
(campaign site, PVS).
Democratic incumbent Bobby Bright
ran for reelection, and had no primary opponent.
The Republicans ran two candidates in their primary: Montgomery
City Councilwoman Martha Roby
and Tea Party activist Rick Barber. Roby was endorsed by Sarah Palin
and Newt Gingrich
, and won the primary.
Roby took the general election unseating Bright.
†Internal poll commissioned by Bobby Bright
Republican incumbent Michael Rogers
ran for reelection, and defeated Democratic nominee Steve Segrest (PVS) to hold the seat for the Republicans.
Republican incumbent Robert Aderholt
ran unopposed for reelection in both the primary and general elections.
This district was an open seat in the general election, as incumbent Parker Griffith
(who changed parties from Democratic to Republican on December 22, 2009), was defeated in the Republican primary by lawyer and county commissioner Mo Brooks
.
Democratic nominee small business owner and political consultant Steve Raby
ran against Brooks in the general election, but Brooks won to hold the seat for the Republicans.
This district is represented by Republican Spencer Bachus
, who ran unopposed for reelection in both the primary and general elections.
This was an open seat as, in 2009, Democratic incumbent Artur Davis
announced his retirement to run for Governor of Alabama. Following his defeat in the 2010 primary, Davis announced he was through with politics and would return to private life at the conclusion of his current term.
Don Chamberlain (campaign site, PVS) won the Republican primary.
In the Democratic primary, Terri Sewell
(an attorney) won against Patricia Evans Mokolo, an Air Force veteran and Obama field organizer; State Representatives
Earl Hilliard, Jr., the son of the district's former representative, Earl Hilliard; Jefferson County
Commissioner Shelia Smoot; Martha Bozeman, an attorney; and Eddison Walters, a small business owner from Tuscaloosa
.
The district, which includes Birmingham
, is more than 60% African American and is heavily Democratic; John Kerry
won 64% here in 2004.
* A district that has a PVI of a party that is represented by the opposite party, and applies to an EVEN score
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
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...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Alabama has seven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 112th Congress
112th United States Congress
The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January...
from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. The primary elections were held June 1, with the runoff on July 13.
Districts 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 were considered safe seats for the incumbent party (the Democratic Party for District 7 and the Republican Party for the other districts), according to the Cook Political Report and CQ Politics, and as predicted the incumbent party held those seats. Meanwhile, Districts 2 (a Democrat-held seat) and 5 (a Republican-held seat, though the incumbent was a Democrat who switched parties
Party switching
Party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office.In many countries, party-switching takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties in coalition governments...
in 2009) were considered up for grabs. The Republican Party gained District 2 and held District 5.
Overview
The table below shows the total number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost by each political party in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Alabama. In addition, the voter turnout and the number of votes not valid will be listed below.| United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Republican Alabama Republican Party The Alabama Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Alabama. It is the dominant political party in Alabama. The state party is governed by the Alabama Republican Executive Committee. Most of the committee's more than 200 members are elected in district... |
540,173 | 54.8% | 6 | +2 | |
| Democratic Alabama Democratic Party The Alabama Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Judge Mark Kennedy. The Executive Director is Bradley Davidson.... |
417,491 | 42.2% | 1 | -2 | |
| Others | 26,265 | 3.0% | 0 | +/-0 | |
| Valid votes | |||||
| Invalid or blank votes | |||||
| Totals | 983,929 | 100% | 7 | — | |
| Voter turnout | |||||
District 1
Jo Bonner
Josiah Robins Bonner, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and early political career:...
ran for reelection. In the primary, Bonner won against Orange Beach
Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,784. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
real estate developer Peter Gounares and Clint Moser.
The Democrats did not field a candidate for this seat. Bonner was challenged in the general election by David M. Walter, nominee of the Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
(campaign site, PVS).
- AL - District 1 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 1st District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
District 2*
Bobby Bright
Bobby Neal Bright, Sr. is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for from 2009 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state....
ran for reelection, and had no primary opponent.
The Republicans ran two candidates in their primary: Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
City Councilwoman Martha Roby
Martha Roby
Martha Dubina Roby is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party. She narrowly defeated incumbent Representative Bobby Bright on November 2 during the United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2010 and assumed office in January 2011.-Early life,...
and Tea Party activist Rick Barber. Roby was endorsed by Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
and Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, and won the primary.
Roby took the general election unseating Bright.
- AL - District 2 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 2nd District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Bobby Bright (D) | Martha Roby (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research | October 9-12, 2010 | 51% | 39% |
| Public Opinion Strategies | October 3-4, 2010 | 43% | 45% |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research | September 26-28, 2010 | 52% | 43% |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research | August 23–26, 2010 | 52% | 43% |
| Anzalone-Liszt Research† | February 8–11, 2010 | 54% | 30% |
†Internal poll commissioned by Bobby Bright
District 3
Mike D. Rogers
Michael Dennis "Mike" Rogers , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life and education:...
ran for reelection, and defeated Democratic nominee Steve Segrest (PVS) to hold the seat for the Republicans.
- AL - District 3 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 3rd District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
District 4
Robert Aderholt
Robert Brown Aderholt is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes most of the far northern suburbs of Birmingham, as well as the southern suburbs of Huntsville and Decatur.- Early life, education and career :Aderholt was born in...
ran unopposed for reelection in both the primary and general elections.
- AL - District 4 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 4th District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
District 5
Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
(who changed parties from Democratic to Republican on December 22, 2009), was defeated in the Republican primary by lawyer and county commissioner Mo Brooks
Mo Brooks
Morris Jackson "Mo" Brooks, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Brooks was born in 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963...
.
Democratic nominee small business owner and political consultant Steve Raby
Steve Raby
Stephen Walker "Steve" Raby is the former 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district.-Early life and education:...
ran against Brooks in the general election, but Brooks won to hold the seat for the Republicans.
- AL - District 5 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 5th District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Mo Brooks (R) | Steve Raby (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies | August 22–23, 2010 | 48% | 37% |
| Public Opinion Strategies | June 2010 | 48% | 40% |
District 6
Spencer Bachus
Spencer Thomas Bachus III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party and the senior member of the Alabama U. S. House delegation...
, who ran unopposed for reelection in both the primary and general elections.
- AL - District 6 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 6th District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
District 7
Artur Davis
Artur Genestre Davis is a former member of the United States House of Representatives for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell, also a member of the Democratic Party....
announced his retirement to run for Governor of Alabama. Following his defeat in the 2010 primary, Davis announced he was through with politics and would return to private life at the conclusion of his current term.
Don Chamberlain (campaign site, PVS) won the Republican primary.
In the Democratic primary, Terri Sewell
Terri Sewell
Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party and the first black woman elected to Congress from Alabama...
(an attorney) won against Patricia Evans Mokolo, an Air Force veteran and Obama field organizer; State Representatives
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...
Earl Hilliard, Jr., the son of the district's former representative, Earl Hilliard; Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
Commissioner Shelia Smoot; Martha Bozeman, an attorney; and Eddison Walters, a small business owner from Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
.
The district, which includes Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, is more than 60% African American and is heavily Democratic; John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
won 64% here in 2004.
- AL - District 7 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama - 7th District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Democratic Primary polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Shelia Smoot | Earl Hilliard, Jr. | Terri Sewell | Martha Bozeman | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anzalone Liszt Research | June 13–16, 2010 | 33% | - | 53% | - | 14% |
| Anzalone Liszt Research | May 13–16, 2010 | 22% | 20% | 22% | 7% | - |
| Smoot internal poll | April, 2010 | 33% | 28% | 13% | - | - |
| Anzalone Liszt Research | January, 2010 | 29% | 25% | 9% | - | - |
Key
External links
- Elections from the Alabama Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress Candidates for Alabama at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Alabama U.S. House from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions for U.S. Congressional races in Alabama from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 Alabama General Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- House - Alabama from the Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
- Campaign 2010 news coverage from AL.com