Governors: March Revised Bottom Lines

Bottom Lines are our most current take on a race.

When Republican Gov. Robert Bentley resigned on April 10 of last year to avoid impeachment, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey was sworn in as the state’s new chief executive. She has spent her time in office working to stabilize the ship of government in the wake of the scandals that forced Bentley from office. Ivey has also focused on the crowded GOP primary she faces in her bid for a term in her own right. Four candidates filed for the primary: Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, evangelist Scott Dawson, state Sen. Bill Hightower and Michael McAllister. For now, Ivey is the frontrunner, but she can’t take anything for granted. Democrats have always believed that they would have a credible candidate here, but are more enthusiastic after their stunning upset in the special U.S. Senate election. The frontrunners for the Democratic nomination are former state Supreme Court Justice Sue Bell Cobb and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox; three minor candidates also filed. Despite Democrats’ enthusiasm, the race is in the Solid Republican column.