Legislative Specials in Alabama and New Hampshire

Posted By Josh Goodman | June 2, 2009

While the big election today is the Republican primary for governor of New Jersey, I'm also keeping my eye on special elections in Alabama and New Hampshire.

Voters in Southwest Alabama are picking a new state senator, in an election that actually could be fairly consequential. Nominally, Democrats have a comfortable edge in the Alabama Senate, but some of the Democrats in the body have a habit of voting against their party's leadership, so the real balance of power is less clear. Here are the basics on the race, courtesy of the Associated Press:

Democratic state Rep. Marc Keahey of Grove Hill faces former Republican state Rep. Greg Albritton of Range in the special election Tuesday.

The winner replaces Democratic state Sen. Pat Lindsey of Butler, who died in January.

Doc's Political Parlor has the latest buzz:

A Montgomery Democrat tells the Parlor that there has been some natural tightening in the race, that the district probably leans Democrat 5 or 6 points. The Montgomery Dem believes that early polls showing Keahey up big weren't realistic, but that Democrats still seem to think Keahey is likely to win.

Voters in Lebanon, New Hampshire also will choose a new member of the state House of Representatives. While Lebanon has a distinct Democratic tilt, the Republican in that race has been better funded, as The Dartmouth notes:

In what may be an early sign of the political storm surrounding the 2010 mid-term elections, the race for Lebanon, N.H., state representative has seen increased spending and has been given added significance by state and local party officials ahead of the vote in a special election on June 2. The Lebanon state House seat was vacated in early March when Democrat Gene Andersen resigned for financial reasons.

...

Democrat Andrew White, a fire captain, estimates that Randy Wagoner, his Republican opponent and an emergency dispatcher, is outspending him "four or five to one."

Josh Goodman

Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..

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