Alabama Politics
Alabama Guide
Alabama Politics
| Alabama Governors Salary | Living Former Governors |
| List of Governors of Alabama | Presidential Elections Results |
| Other High Offices Held | Alabama Politics |
Alabama Governors Salary
Alabama Governors Salary $112,895 (2009)
Alabama Politicians
This article on Alabama Politics deals with the current representatives and elected officials of the state. All the major parties in Alabama were required to file their papers by the end of April 2010. The other parties were required to submit their documents by June 2010. Here is a list of eligible candidates for the post of Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.
Nominations for Governor
- Robert Bentley: He is currently the state representative and is a USAF veteran. Having worked as a qualified dermatologist, he is now running for the post of Governor of Alabama.
- Bradley Byrne: He previously was the Senator and the Chancellor of the Community College System and is now in the race for the position of Governor.
- Tim James: He is the son of an Ex Governor and is a real estate developer by profession.
- Bill Johnson: He was the Birmingham City Councilman and the State Economic Development Director and is now contesting for the Governor of Alabama.
- Roy Moore: The ex-state Supreme Court Chief Justice, he is a religious right activist and a previous electoral candidate, now running for Governor of Alabama along with a few other competitors.
- Charles Taylor: He is known to be a construction company sales representative.
- Artur Davis: Previously a Congressman and Attorney, he is now a candidate for governor of Alabama.
- Ron Sparks: Previously held the post of the State Agriculture Commissioner and is now running for Governor.
- Currently, Bob Riley is the governor of Alabama.
Nominations for Lieutenant Governor
- Hank Erwin: He is a state Senator and a Religious rights activist who is now contesting for the lieutenant governor of Alabama.
- Kay Ivey: Having served as the State Treasurer and the Higher Education Commissioner for the state, candidate Kay Ivey is contesting against two more for the post of lieutenant governor.
- Gene Ponder: having served as a teacher and a National Guard Veteran, Gene is now running for the post for the 2010 elections.
- Currently, Jin Folsom holds the post of Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.
List of Governors of Alabama
| S.No | Governor | Term start | Term end | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Wyatt Bibb | December 14, 1819 | July 10, 1820 | Democratic-Republican |
| 2 | Thomas Bibb | July 10, 1820 | November 9, 1821 | Democratic-Republican |
| 3 | Israel Pickens | November 9, 1821 | November 25, 1825 | Democratic-Republican |
| 4 | John Murphy | November 25, 1825 | November 25, 1829 | Jackson Democrat |
| 5 | Gabriel Moore | November 25, 1829 | March 3, 1831 | Jackson Democrat |
| 6 | Samuel B. Moore | March 3, 1831 | November 26, 1831 | Democratic |
| 7 | John Gayle | November 26, 1831 | November 21, 1835 | Democratic |
| 8 | Clement C. Clay | November 21, 1835 | July 17, 1837 | Democratic |
| 9 | Hugh McVay | July 17, 1837 | November 30, 1837 | Democratic |
| 10 | Arthur P. Bagby | November 30, 1837 | November 22, 1841 | Democratic |
| 11 | Benjamin Fitzpatrick | November 22, 1841 | December 10, 1845 | Democratic |
| 12 | Joshua L. Martin | December 10, 1845 | December 16, 1847 | Independent |
| 13 | Reuben Chapman | December 16, 1847 | December 17, 1849 | Democratic |
| 14 | Henry W. Collier | December 17, 1849 | December 20, 1853 | Democratic |
| 15 | John A. Winston | December 20, 1853 | December 1, 1857 | Democratic |
| 16 | Andrew B. Moore | December 1, 1857 | December 2, 1861 | Democratic |
| 17 | John Gill Shorter | December 2, 1861 | December 1, 1863 | Democratic |
| 18 | Thomas H. Watts | December 1, 1863 | May 1, 1865 | Democratic |
| 19 | Lewis E. Parsons | June 21, 1865 | December 13, 1865 | Democratic |
| 20 | Robert M. Patton | December 13, 1865 | July 24, 1868 | Democratic |
| — | Wager Swayne | March 2, 1867 | July 14, 1868 | Military |
| 21 | William H. Smith | July 24, 1868 | November 26, 1870 | Republican |
| 22 | Robert B. Lindsay | November 26, 1870 | November 17, 1872 | Democratic |
| 23 | David P. Lewis | November 17, 1872 | November 24, 1874 | Republican |
| 24 | George S. Houston | November 24, 1874 | November 28, 1878 | Democratic |
| 25 | Rufus W. Cobb | November 28, 1878 | December 1, 1882 | Democratic |
| 26 | Edward A. O'Neal | December 1, 1882 | December 1, 1886 | Democratic |
| 27 | Thomas Seay | December 1, 1886 | December 1, 1890 | Democratic |
| 28 | Thomas G. Jones | December 1, 1890 | December 1, 1894 | Democratic |
| 29 | William C. Oates | December 1, 1894 | December 1, 1896 | Democratic |
| 30 | Joseph F. Johnston | December 1, 1896 | December 1, 1900 | Democratic |
| — | William D. Jelks | December 1, 1900 | December 26, 1900 | Democratic |
| 31 | William J. Samford | December 1, 1900 | June 11, 1901 | Democratic |
| 32 | William D. Jelks | June 11, 1901 | January 14, 1907 | Democratic |
| — | Russell M. Cunningham | April 25, 1904 | March 5, 1905 | Democratic |
| 33 | B. B. Comer | January 14, 1907 | January 17, 1911 | Democratic |
| 34 | Emmet O'Neal | January 17, 1911 | January 18, 1915 | Democratic |
| 35 | Charles Henderson | January 18, 1915 | January 20, 1919 | Democratic |
| 36 | Thomas Kilby | January 20, 1919 | January 15, 1923 | Democratic |
| 37 | William W. Brandon | January 15, 1923 | January 17, 1927 | Democratic |
| — | Charles S. McDowell | July 10, 1924 | July 11, 1924 | Democratic |
| 38 | Bibb Graves | January 17, 1927 | January 19, 1931 | Democratic |
| 39 | Benjamin M. Miller | January 19, 1931 | January 14, 1935 | Democratic |
| 38 | Bibb Graves | January 14, 1935 | January 17, 1939 | Democratic |
| 40 | Frank M. Dixon | January 17, 1939 | January 19, 1943 | Democratic |
| 41 | Chauncey Sparks | January 19, 1943 | January 20, 1947 | Democratic |
| 42 | James E. Folsom, Sr. | January 20, 1947 | January 15, 1951 | Democratic |
| 43 | Gordon Persons | January 15, 1951 | January 17, 1955 | Democratic |
| 42 | James E. Folsom, Sr. | January 17, 1955 | January 19, 1959 | Democratic |
| 44 | John Patterson | January 19, 1959 | January 14, 1963 | Democratic |
| 45 | George Wallace | January 14, 1963 | January 16, 1967 | Democratic |
| 46 | Lurleen Wallace | January 16, 1967 | May 7, 1968 | Democratic |
| 47 | Albert Brewer | May 7, 1968 | January 18, 1971 | Democratic |
| 45 | George Wallace | January 18, 1971 | January 15, 1979 | Democratic |
| — | Jere Beasley | June 5, 1972 | July 7, 1972 | Democratic |
| 48 | Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr. | January 15, 1979 | January 17, 1983 | Democratic |
| 45 | George Wallace | January 17, 1983 | January 19, 1987 | Democratic |
| 49 | H. Guy Hunt | January 19, 1987 | April 22, 1993 | Republican |
| 50 | James E. Folsom, Jr. | April 22, 1993 | January 16, 1995 | Democratic |
| 48 | Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr. | January 16, 1995 | January 18, 1999 | Republican |
| 51 | Don Siegelman | January 18, 1999 | January 20, 2003 | Democratic |
| 52 | Bob Riley | January 20, 2003 | incumbent | Republican |
Other High Offices Held
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | U.S. House | U.S. Senate |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Wyatt Bibb | 1817–1820 | — | — |
| lIsrael Pickens | 1821–1825 | — | S |
| John Murphy | 1825–1829 | H | — |
| Gabriel Moore | 1829–1831 | H | S* |
| John Gayle | 1831–1835 | H | — |
| Clement Comer Clay | 1835–1837 | H | S* |
| Arthur P. Bagby | 1837–1841 | — | S |
| Benjamin Fitzpatrick | 1841–1845 | — | S |
| Joshua L. Martin | 1845–1847 | H | — |
| Reuben Chapman | 1847–1849 | H | — |
| .John A. Winston | 1853–1857 | — | — |
| John Gill Shorter | 1861–1863 | — | — |
| Thomas H. Watts | 1863–1865 | — | — |
| Lewis E. Parsons | 1865 | — | — |
| David P. Lewis | 1872–1874 | — | — |
| George S. Houston | 1874–1878 | H | S |
| Joseph F. Johnston | 1896–1900 | — | S |
| William J. Samford | 1900–1901 | H | — |
| B. B. Comer | 1907–1911 | — | S |
| Bob Riley | 2003–Present | H | — |
Living Former Governors
| Governor | Gubernatorial Term | Date of Birth |
|---|---|---|
| John Patterson | 1959–1963 | September 27, 1921 (1921-09-27) (age 88) |
| Albert Brewer | 1968–1971 | October 26, 1928 (1928-10-26) (age 81) |
| Jere Beasley | 1972 (acting) | December 12, 1935 (1935-12-12) (age 74) |
| Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr. | 1979–1983, 1995–1999 | September 15, 1934 (1934-09-15) (age 75) |
| James E. Folsom, Jr. | 1993–1995 | May 14, 1949 (1949-05-14) (age 61) |
| Don Siegelman | 1999–2003 | February 24, 1946 (1946-02-24) (age 64) |
Presidential Elections Results
| Year | Republican | Democratic | State winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 60.32% 1,266,546 | 38.80% 813,479 | John McCain |
| 2004 | 62.46% 1,176,394 | 36.84% 693,933 | George W. Bush |
| 2000 | 56.47% 944,409 | 41.59% 695,602 | George W. Bush |
| 1996 | 50.12% 769,044 | 43.16% 662,165 | Bob Dole |
| 1992 | 47.65% 804,283 | 40.88% 690,080 | George Bush |
| 1988 | 59.17% 815,576 | 39.86% 549,506 | George Bush |
| 1984 | 60.54% 872,849 | 38.28% 551,899 | Ronald Reagan |
| 1980 | 48.75% 654,192 | 47.45% 636,730 | Ronald Reagan |
| 1976 | 42.61% 504,070 | 55.73% 659,170 | Jimmy Carter |
| 1972 | 72.43% 728,701 | 25.54% 256,923 | Richard Nixon |
| 1968* | 13.99% 146,923 | 18.72% 196,579 | George Wallace (I) |
| 1964 | 69.45% 479,085 | 30.55% 210,732 | Barry Goldwater |
| 1960 | 42.16% 237,981 | 56.39% 318,303 | John F. Kennedy |
List of United States Senators from Alabama
Class 2
| S.No. | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices/Notes | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William R. King | Democratic- Republican |
December 14, 1819 | April 15, 1844 | President pro tempore (1836–1841; 1850–1852) Also served in Alabama's Class 3 seat Vice President of the United States (1853) |
1 |
| Jacksonian Democrat |
2 | |||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| Vacant | April 15, 1844 | April 22, 1844 | ||||
| 2 | Dixon Hall Lewis | Democratic | April 22, 1844 | October 24, 1848 | ||
| 7 | ||||||
| Vacant | October 24, 1848 | November 25, 1848 | ||||
| 3 | Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic | November 25, 1848 | November 30, 1849 | Governor of Alabama (1841–1845) President pro tempore Also served in Alabama's Class 3 seat |
|
| 4 | Jeremiah Clemens | Democratic | November 30, 1849 | March 4, 1853 | ||
| 5 | Clement Claiborne Clay | Democratic | November 29, 1853 | January 21, 1861 | Confederate States Senator (1862–1864) |
8 |
9 |
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| Vacant | January 21, 1861 | July 13, 1868 | ||||
| 10 | ||||||
| 6 | Willard Warner | Republican | July 13, 1868 | March 4, 1871 | ||
| 7 | George Goldthwaite | Democratic | March 4, 1871 | March 4, 1877 | 11 | |
| 8 | John Tyler Morgan | Democratic | March 4, 1877 | June 11, 1907 | 12 | |
| 13 | ||||||
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | ||||||
| 16 | ||||||
| 17 | ||||||
| Vacant | June 11, 1907 | June 18, 1907 | ||||
| 9 | John H. Bankhead | Democratic | June 18, 1907 | March 1, 1920 | ||
| 18 | ||||||
| 19 | ||||||
| Vacant | March 1, 1920 | March 5, 1920 | ||||
| 10 | B. B. Comer | Democratic | March 5, 1920 | November 2, 1920 | Governor of Alabama (1907–1911) |
|
| 11 | James Thomas Heflin | Democratic | November 3, 1920 | March 4, 1931 | Alabama Secretary of State (1902–1920) |
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| 20 | ||||||
| 12 | John H. Bankhead II | Democratic | March 4, 1931 | June 12, 1946 | 21 | |
| 22 | ||||||
| 23 | ||||||
| Vacant | June 12, 1946 | June 15, 1946 | ||||
| 13 | George R. Swift | Democratic | June 15, 1946 | November 5, 1946 | ||
| 14 | John Sparkman | Democratic | November 6, 1946 | January 3, 1979 | House Minority Whip (1946) |
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| 24 | ||||||
| 25 | ||||||
| 26 | ||||||
| 27 | ||||||
| 28 | ||||||
| 15 | Howell Heflin | Democratic | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1997 | Chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court (1971–1977) |
29 |
| 30 | ||||||
| 31 | ||||||
| 16 | Jeff Sessions | Republican | January 7, 1997 | Incumbent | Attorney General of Alabama (1995–1997) |
32 |
Class 3
| S.No. | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices/Notes | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Williams Walker | Democratic- Republican |
December 14, 1819 | December 12, 1822 | Speaker of the Alabama Territorial House of Representatives | 1 |
| 2 | William Kelly | Democratic- Republican |
December 12, 1822 | March 4, 1825 | Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives (1825) | |
| Jacksonian Democrat |
||||||
| 3 | Henry H. Chambers | Democratic- Republican |
March 4, 1825 | January 24, 1826 | 2 | |
| Vacant | January 24, 1826 | February 17, 1826 | ||||
| 4 | Israel Pickens | Jacksonian Democrat |
February 17, 1826 | November 27, 1826 | Governor of Alabama (1821–1825) | |
| 5 | John McKinley | Democratic | November 27, 1826 | March 4, 1831 | U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1838–1852) | |
| 6 | Gabriel Moore | Democratic- Republican |
March 4, 1831 | March 4, 1837 | Governor of Alabama (1829–1831) Speaker of the Alabama Senate (1820) Speaker of the Alabama Territorial House of Representatives (1817) |
3 |
| 7 | John McKinley | Democratic | March 4, 1837 | April 22, 1837 | U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1838–1852) | 4 |
| Vacant | March 4, 1837 | June 19, 1837 | ||||
| 8 | Clement Comer Clay | Democratic | June 19, 1837 | November 15, 1841 | Governor of Alabama (1835–1837) Alabama Supreme Court Justice (1843) Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives |
|
| 9 | Arthur P. Bagby | Democratic | November 24, 1841 | June 16, 1848 | Governor of Alabama (1837–1841) Minister to Russia (1849–1849) |
|
| 5 | ||||||
| Vacant | June 16, 1848 | July 1, 1848 | ||||
| 10 | William R. King | Democratic | July 1, 1848 | December 20, 1852 | Senator from Alabama's Class 2 seat (1819–1844) President pro tempore (1836–1841; 1850–1852) Vice President of the United States (1853) |
|
| 6 | ||||||
| Vacant | December 20, 1852 | January 14, 1853 | ||||
| 11 | Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic | January 14, 1853 | March 3, 1855 | Governor of Alabama (1841–1845) President pro tempore Also served in Alabama's Class 2 seat (1848–1849) |
|
| Vacant | March 4, 1855 | November 26, 1855 | 7 |
|||
| Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic | November 26, 1855 | January 21, 1861 | |||
| Vacant | January 21, 1861 | July 13, 1868 | ||||
8 |
||||||
| 12 | George E. Spencer | Republican | July 13, 1868 | March 4, 1879 | ||
| 9 | ||||||
| 13 | George S. Houston | Democratic | March 4, 1879 | December 31, 1879 | Governor of Alabama (1874–1878) | 10 |
| Vacant | December 31, 1879 | January 7, 1880 | ||||
| 14 | Luke Pryor | Democratic | January 7, 1880 | November 23, 1880 | ||
| 15 | James L. Pugh | Democratic | November 24, 1880 | March 4, 1897 | Confederate States Representative (1862–1865) | |
| 11 | ||||||
| 12 | ||||||
| 16 | Edmund Pettus | Democratic | March 4, 1897 | July 27, 1907 | 13 | |
| 14 | ||||||
| Vacant | July 27, 1907 | August 6, 1907 | ||||
| 17 | Joseph F. Johnston | Democratic | August 6, 1907 | August 8, 1913 | Governor of Alabama (1896–1900) | |
| 15 | ||||||
| Vacant | August 8, 1913 | May 11, 1914 | ||||
| 18 | Francis S. White | Democratic | May 11, 1914 | March 4, 1915 | ||
| 19 | Oscar Underwood | Democratic | March 4, 1915 | March 4, 1927 | Senate Minority Leader (1920–1923) House Majority Leader (1911–1915) House Minority Whip (1899–1901) |
16 |
| 17 | ||||||
| 20 | Hugo Black | Democratic | March 4, 1927 | August 19, 1937 | U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1937–1971) | 18 |
| 19 | ||||||
| 20 | ||||||
| 21 | Dixie Bibb Graves | Democratic | August 20, 1937 | January 10, 1938 | Appointed (by her husband, the Governor) to finish Black's term Resigned |
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| 22 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | January 11, 1938 | January 3, 1969 | ||
| 21 | ||||||
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| 23 | James Allen | Democratic | January 3, 1969 | June 1, 1978 | Lieutenant Governor of Alabama (1951–1955; 1963–1967) | 26 |
| 27 | ||||||
| 24 | Maryon Pittman Allen | Democratic | June 8, 1978 | November 7, 1978 | ||
| 25 | Donald W. Stewart | Democratic | November 7, 1978 | January 2, 1981 | ||
| 26 | Jeremiah Denton | Republican | January 2, 1981 | January 3, 1987 | ||
| 28 | ||||||
| 27 | Richard Shelby | Democratic | January 3, 1987 | November 9, 1994 | 29 | |
| 30 | ||||||
| Republican | November 9, 1994 | Incumbent | ||||
| 31 | ||||||
| 32 | ||||||
