2008 Jefferson County Commission special election

From Bhamwiki
Revision as of 21:05, 5 February 2008 by Dystopos (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The 2008 Jefferson County Commission special election for the Jefferson County Commission District 1 was held on February 5, 2008 to coincide with the state's presidential primaries. Early results indicate that William Bell has defeated four other challengers with a clear majority of votes in order to become the Commissioner-elect.

However, the legal question of whether the position is to be filled by an appointee or by special election is in dispute. The seat is currently held by George Bowman, whom Governor Bob Riley appointed to the post after Larry Langford took office as Mayor of Birmingham. The Jefferson County Elections Commission (made up of Probate Judge Alan King, Sheriff Mike Hale and Court Clerk Anne-Marie Adams) scheduled the election and issued the ballots. Riley maintains that he has the authority to fill the seat and that the election is illegal.

In late January a lawsuit filed on behalf of Patricia Working and Rick Eredmir claimed that the election was scheduled without enough notice for voters to research and support candidates. In a letter asking Circuit Court Judge Scott Vowell to order the ballots sealed, Alabama Attorney General Troy King questioned the constitutionality of the election. Vowell responded that he could not rule without giving the candidates a hearing. Lawyers appealed his response to the Alabama Supreme Court, but no ruling was handed down before the election results were posted.

Meanwhile, Riley notified a panel of three federal judges that he would seek clearance from the United States Department of Justice for his appointment of Bowman, as required by their January 22 ruling that such clearance would be required. That panel has ruled only on the civil rights matter before them, and not on the state issue of whether the appointment is legal. The action extends Bowman's term to at least April 21 unless a state court finds other cause to remove him.

Candidates


References

  • Wright, Barnett (January 11, 2008) "Major will run for District 1 seat." Birmingham News.
  • Bryant, Joseph D. (January 11, 2008) "William Bell to join Jefferson County District 1 commission race." Birmingham News
  • Velasco, Eric (February 5, 2008) "State high court asked to block Jeffco commission vote count." Birmingham News
Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=2008_Jefferson_County_Commission_special_election&oldid=28787"