News & Press
Congressional Quarterly Updates AL-02 to a Toss-UpAlabama’s 2nd District (Southeast — part of Montgomery, Dothan)Incumbent: Bobby Bright , D Now: Tossup Was: Leans Democratic Bright’s open-seat 2008 win to take over the 2nd District, a longtime Republican stronghold, was no fluke. A conservative Democrat, Bright was serving as mayor of Montgomery, Alabama’s capital, when he was elected to the House, and he combined big-city familiarity with personal roots in the district’s strongly conservative-leaning rural areas. But there is no doubt that Bright is one of the most vulnerable Democratic House incumbents for 2010. He won last time by less than 1 percentage point even as Republican presidential nominee John McCain received a 26-point edge over Democrat Barack Obama in the district. What has tipped the race into the Tossup category is the backing provided by national and state Republicans to their recruited challenger, Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby. But Roby will need stronger fundraising numbers to prevent Bright from regaining an edge in the race. After bringing in more than $125,000 in the first six weeks of her campaign, Roby reported an underwhelming $91,000 in receipts during the third quarter. She ended September with $179,000 cash on hand to Bright’s $489,000. — John McArdle |
