The Political Round-Up
Crawford to challenge Figures for Senate seat?;
Ivey itching to run for guv'; Beat 41 assembly;
Money for GulfQuest; Sparks hopes to light fire;
Coker signs defaced; GOP women gather; Williams to run; City points the way to polls
By Chip Drago
Mobile Bay Times
Victor Crawford, the son of the late Mobile civil rights icon and lawyer Vernon Crawford, is considering a run next year for the state Senate District 33 seat now held by state Sen. Vivian Figures.
Figures, then a city councilwoman, won a special election to fill the seat after the death in 1996 of her husband, state Sen. Michael Figures who as a young lawyer was mentored by the elder Crawford. Michael Figures died suddenly of an intracranial brain hemorrhage.
Victor Crawford, 46, owns APL Software which has held a county contract for computer services and consulting for more than 20 years.
Crawford has a degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. He is married to the former Stephanie Woods. They have a five-year-old daughter, Margaret Elizabeth, and are expecting a second child.
Crawford, who has never before sought public office, said he anticipated coming to a decision officially in the fall after city elections in August/September. Should State Rep. James Buskey again become a candidate for the SD 33 seat, it would likely prompt Crawford to back off a run, he said. The veteran legislator sought the seat in the 1996 special election but lost to Figures. Buskey said he planned to run for re-election to the house seat he has held for 32 years.
Figures challenged U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions last year, but fell short in the uphill race, drawing 37 percent of the vote, two percent less in Alabama than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. In taking on the Republican incumbent, Figures was able to raise only $330,000.
Ivey itching to run
In an email to supporters, state Treasurer Kay Ivey has confirmed what had long been rumored: she will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.
On Wednesday, she will conclude a series of stops across the state announcing her plans with a press conference at 5:30 p.m. at Oysterella’s Seafood Restaurant on the Causeway.
Ivey will join a GOP field that includes Robert Bentley, Bradley Byrne, Tim James and Roy Moore.
Richardson schedules Beat 41 Meeting
Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson will hold a Beat 41 Community Meeting Thursday, June 25 at Forest Hill Elementary School (4501 Moffett Road) starting at 7 p.m.
Key City department heads and Public Safety
officials will attend. Input from the public is
welcome.
Half a mil for GulfQuest
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will award $499,500 to GulfQuest, the new maritime museum in Mobile. Ground was recently broken for
the waterfront facility
that will be dedicated
to enhancing the
understanding and
appreciation for the
maritime culture and
heritage of the Gulf of
Mexico.
“GulfQuest offers a unique opportunity for children and adults to learn about sea life in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Shelby. “The Museum will use this funding to create educational exhibits and programs about the ocean. Upon completion, GulfQuest will provide the public with an inside look into marine life in the Gulf.”
Meet & Greet Tim James
Tim James, a GOP candidate for governor in 2010, will stage two "meet and greets" in Mobile County Tuesday, June 30.
The first event will be from 7:30–9 a.m. at the new Holiday Inn and Suites in Saraland near the intersection of I-65 and Industrial Parkway (Hwy 158). A second event will at the Semmes Community Center, 10141 Moffett Road (Hwy 98), beginning at 1 p.m.
Both events are open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend.
For more information contact James campaign's Mobile coordinator Mark Erwin at 432-8120.
Sparks schedules Mobile fundraiser
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks will hold a major fundraiser here Wednesday, July 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ashbury Hotel & Suites, I-65 and Airport Blvd. An invitation suggests attendees donate $25-$250 toward Sparks' bid for governor. For more information call 602-1974.
Coker signs defaced
The campaign of Yasmin Coker, a candidate for Mobile City Council District 1 in city elections this summer, filed a complaint with Mobile police last week after a number of her signs were vandalized. Coker said she would leave the campaign signs in their defaced condition.
“I want the vandal(s) to understand that their acts of vandalism and defiance of the law will not be tolerated," said Coker. "Furthermore, I want to leave them up as a reminder for the vandals that they cannot quash my platform nor discourage my supporters.”
ACRW to host candidate clatch
The Azalea City Republican Women will meet for lunch Tuesday, June 30 at Heron Lakes Country Club
11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Guests and candidates are welcome. All candidates will be encouraged to introduce themselves to the group. For more information call Shirley Short at 344-1394 or Jeanette Greene at 675-4094.
Williams to launch re-election bid
Mobile City Councilman John Williams will kick off his re-election campaign with an Appreciation Cook-Out Thursday, July 2 at 6 p.m. at Mobile Lumber (car museum) just west of Knollwood on Hwy. 90. Williams will deliver some short comments at 7 p.m. The menu calls for Cajun fare. For more information call 753-7899.
City Launches Election Polling Place Finder
With municipal elections scheduled Aug. 25, the City of Mobile has established a web page dedicated to helping citizens find their polling location. All you have to do is go to this site and enter your Street Number (Ex: 205) and Street Address (Ex: Government St.). The name and address of your polling place will appear. From there you will be able to get a detailed map and/or detailed directions to your polling place. Also on the page is a link to the main election site, which has election forms and deadlines regarding running in and voting in this year's election.
