Political party strength in Alabama
The following table displays, by color, the parties of elected officials in the U.S. state of Alabama from 1817 to the current year. As such, it may indicate the political party strength at any given time. The officers listed include:
- Governor
- Lieutenant governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney general
- Comptroller of Public Accounts/State Auditor[a]
- State treasurer
- Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:
- State Senate
- State House of Representatives
- State delegation to the U.S. Senate
- State delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives
For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.
1817–1882
[edit]
1883–present
[edit]- ^ With the adoption of the state Constitution of 1819, the auditor became the comptroller of public accounts elected annually by a joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly. The Constitution of 1868 changed the title of the office to auditor and established a process by which the officeholder would be chosen by the electors of the state every four years.
- ^ Governor of Alabama Territory appointed by President James Monroe.
- ^ Treasurer of Alabama Territory.
- ^ Delegate from Alabama Territory.
- ^ Secretary of Alabama Territory.
- ^ a b c d e Died in office.
- ^ a b c As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
- ^ Resigned.
- ^ a b Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- ^ Resigned following appointment to the Circuit Court bench.
- ^ a b c d e f Appointed to fill a vacancy.
- ^ Democrat who opposed party leaders and ran as an independent.
- ^ Arrested by Union forces soon after the American Civil War ended in May 1865; was released a few weeks later.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Initially appointed to fill vacancy, later elected in his own right.
- ^ Provisional governor appointed by the Union occupation; between Watts's arrest and Parsons' appointment, Alabama had no governor, instead being under direct rule of General George Henry Thomas.
- ^ The United States Congress stripped Patton of most of his authority in March 1867, after which time the state was effectively under the control of Major General Wager Swayne.
- ^ Military governor appointed during Reconstruction; though Patton was still officially governor, he was mostly a figurehead. The term start date given is the date of the first of the Reconstruction Acts, which placed Alabama into the Third Military District; all references only say "March 1867."
- ^ a b Robert Lindsay was sworn into office on November 26, 1870, but William H. Smith refused to leave his seat for two weeks, claiming Lindsay was fraudulently elected, finally leaving office on December 8, 1870, when a court so ordered.
- ^ Initial returns showed a 19-14 Democratic majority, but was overturned in a series of contests through March 1873.
- ^ Initial returns showed a 54-46 Democratic majority, but was overturned in a series of contests through March 1873.
- ^ Position of lieutenant governor was eliminated in 1875, effective at the end of the then-present term in November 1876, and was reestablished upon the adoption of the Alabama Constitution in 1901.
- ^ Position of lieutenant governor was eliminated in 1875, effective at the end of the then-present term in November 1876, and was reestablished upon the adoption of the Alabama Constitution in 1901.
- ^ Acting governor for 26 days. Jelks was president of the state Senate when William J. Samford was out of state at the start of his term seeking medical treatment.
- ^ As president of the state Senate, filled unexpired term and was subsequently elected in his or her own right.
- ^ Gubernatorial terms were increased from two to four years during Jelks' governorship; his first term was filling out Samford's two-year term, and he was subsequently elected in 1902 for a four-year term.
- ^ Acting governor from April 25, 1904 until March 5, 1905 while Jelks was out of state for medical treatment.
- ^ Acting governor for two days—July 10 and 11, 1924—while Brandon was out of state for 21 days as a delegate to the 1924 Democratic National Convention.
- ^ Wallace left the state for 20 days for medical treatment; as lieutenant governor, Brewer became acting governor on July 25, 1967. Wallace returned to the state later that day.
- ^ a b c As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
- ^ Acting governor for 32 days, from June 5 until July 7, 1972. Beasley was lieutenant governor when Wallace spent 52 days in Maryland for medical treatment following an assassination attempt while campaigning for president of the United States.
- ^ Removed from office upon being convicted of illegally using campaign and inaugural funds to pay personal debts; he was later pardoned by the state parole board based on innocence.
- ^ Sens. John Amari, Frank "Butch" Ellis, and John Rice switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[1]
- ^ a b Resigned to accept U.S. Senate seat.
- ^ Switched parties from Democratic to Republican in December 1994.
- ^ Reps. H. Mac Gipson and Ronald "Ron" Johnson switch parties from Democratic to Republican.
- ^ Resigned to become United States Attorney General.
- ^ Sens. Chip Bailey and Steve Windom switched parties from Democratic to Republican before the 1998 session.
- ^ Reps. Gerald Allen, Steve Flowers, and Tim Parker Jr. switch parties from Democrat to Republican.[2]
- ^ Bennett ran as a Democrat in 1994 and as a Republican in 1998. He might have switched parties between those elections.
- ^ Sen. Jeff Enfinger switched parties from Republican to Democratic.[3]
- ^ A Republican won a special election, flipping a seat from the Democrats.
- ^ Rep. Blaine Galliher switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[4]
- ^ Rep. Johnny Ford switched parties from Democratic to Republican right after the election, becoming the first black Republican legislator in Alabama in over a century. He resigned in 2004 and was succeeded by Democrat Pebblin Warren before the 2005 session. At the same time, Republican Nick Williams succeed longtime Democratic Rep. Jeff Dolbare in a special election, leaving the overall House partisan composition unchanged.[5][6][7]
- ^ Democratic Rep. Jack Venable died, and was succeeded by Republican Barry Mask, flipping the seat from Democratic to Republican.[8]
- ^ Sen. Jimmy Holley switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[9]
- ^ Paul Sanford succeeded Parker Griffith after he resigned to take a Congressional seat, flipping a seat from Democratic to Republican. Sen. Harri Anne Smith was thrown out by the Republicans and became an Independent at around the same time after crossing party lines to endorse Democrat Bobby Bright in his successful run for Congress.
- ^ Sen. Jim Preuitt switched parties from Democratic to Republican in the lead-up to the general election.
- ^ Democratic Reps. Sue Schmitz and Lea Fite resigned and died, and were succeeded in special elections by Republicans Phil Williams and K. L. Brown, respectively, before the 2010 session.
- ^ Rep. Parker Griffith switched parties from Democratic to Republican.
- ^ Resigned per the terms of a plea deal after being convicted of using state resources to facilitate and conceal an extramarital affair with a former staffer.
- ^ Four representatives, Alan Boothe, Steve Hurst, Mike Millican, and Lesley Vance, switched parties from Democratic to Republican right after the election. Between the 2011 and 2012 sessions Rep. Daniel Boman switched parties from Republican to Democratic, and Rep. Alan Harper switched parties from Democratic to Republican, leaving the partisan composition of the House overall the same.
- ^ Sen. Jerry Fielding switched parties from Democratic to Republican.
- ^ Rep. Richard Laird switched parties from Democratic to Independent, and caucused with the Republicans.
- ^ Rep. Charles Newton switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[10]
- ^ Winner of the special election to fill the remainder of Jeff Sessions's term
- ^ Republican Rep. David Cole resigned and was succeeded by Democratic Rep. Marilyn Lands following a special election, flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic.
References
[edit]- ^ "Birmingham state senator switches to Republicans". The Gadsden Times. 1989-02-08. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Stevenson, Tommy (2002-01-06). "After 12 years, Parker won't seek 4th term". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Strope, Leigh (2000-05-14). "Democrats warm to idea of Republicans jumping ship". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Beyerle, Dana (2001-09-07). "Galliher makes party switch official". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Beyerle, Dana (2005-02-15). "New Republican PAC files finance report after deadline". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Yoshinaka, Antoine (2016). Crossing the Aisle: Party Switching by U.S. Legislators in the Postwar Era. Cambridge University Press. p. 88. ISBN 9781107115897. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Mask's win a sign of things to come". Shelby County Reporter. 2006-03-07. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Cook, Jim (2008-01-11). "Jimmy Holley switches to Republican party". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Lyman, Brian (2014-02-07). "Charles Newton, longtime Democratic representative, switches to GOP". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
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