2006 Alabama gubernatorial election explained

The 2006 Alabama gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Governor Bob Riley defeated Democratic Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley. Riley garnered 21% of African Americans' votes.

Riley was the first Republican to carry the counties Bibb, Cherokee, Etowah, Jackson, and Lauderdale since Reconstruction. This is the last time that a gubernatorial nominee and a lieutenant gubernatorial nominee of different political parties were elected in Alabama.

Primary elections

Republican Party

• Bob Riley, incumbent Governor of Alabama
• Roy Moore, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court

Polling

width=315px	Source	width=150px	Date	width=100px	Bob Riley	width=100px	Roy Moore
align=left	Survey USA[1]	June 5, 2006		64%	33%
align=left	Survey USA[2]	May 25, 2006		64%	33%
align=left	Press-Register/University of South Alabama Poll[3]	May 24, 2006		69%	20%
align=left	Survey USA[4]	May 2, 2006		66%	30%

Results

Democratic Party

• Lucy Baxley, Lieutenant Governor
• Don Siegelman, former Governor
• Joe Copeland, teacher
• Nathan Mathis, former State Representative
• Katherine Mack, minister
• James Potts, financial advisor
• Harry Lyon, perennial candidate

Polling

width=315px	Source	width=150px	Date	width=100px	Don Siegelman	width=100px	Lucy Baxley
align=left	Survey USA[5]	June 5, 2006	41%		46%
align=left	Press-Register/University of South Alabama Poll[6]	May 28, 2006	27%		45%
align=left	Survey USA[7]	May 25, 2006	43%	43%
align=left	Survey USA[8]	May 2, 2006		47%	39%

Results

General election

Candidates

• Bob Riley (Republican), incumbent Governor of Alabama
• Lucy Baxley (Democratic), Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, former Alabama State Treasurer
• Loretta Nall (Libertarian; write-in), founder of the United States Marijuana Party
• Nathan Mathis (write-in), former State Representative
• Michael A. Polemeni (write-in), Huntsville/Madison County Chapter President of Alabama Family Rights Association

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
align=left	The Cook Political Report[9]		November 6, 2006
align=left	Sabato's Crystal Ball[10]		November 6, 2006
align=left	Rothenberg Political Report[11]		November 2, 2006
align=left	Real Clear Politics[12]		November 6, 2006

Polling

width=315px	Source	width=150px	Date	width=100px	Lucy Baxley (D)	width=100px	Bob Riley (R)
align=left	Survey USA[13]	November 1, 2006	39%		54%
align=left	Survey USA[14]	October 18, 2006	36%		57%
align=left	Survey USA[15]	September 28, 2006	38%		54%
align=left	Rasmussen[16]	August 8, 2006	35%		55%
align=left	Survey USA[17]	July 26, 2006	38%		52%
align=left	Rasmussen[18]	June 22, 2006	40%		54%
align=left	Survey USA[19]	June 20, 2006	40%		51%
align=left	Press-Register/University of South Alabama poll[20]	June 18, 2006	25%		53%
align=left	Rasmussen[21]	May 9, 2006	37%		49%
align=left	Rasmussen[22]	April 17, 2006	40%		47%
align=left	Rasmussen[23]	February 27, 2006	37%		53%
align=left	Rasmussen[24]	February 8, 2006	40%		47%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Cherokee (Largest city: Centre)
• Etowah (Largest city: Gadsden)
• Pickens (Largest city: Aliceville)
• Washington (Largest city: Chatom)
• Tuscaloosa (largest city: Tuscaloosa)
• Jackson (Largest city: Scottsboro)
• Jefferson (largest city: Birmingham)
• Montgomery (Largest city: Montgomery)
• Calhoun (largest city: Oxford)
• Lauderdale (Largest city: Florence)
• Bibb (largest city: Brent)
• Fayette (Largest city: Fayette)

See also

• 2006 United States gubernatorial elections
• State of Alabama
• Governors of Alabama

External links

• Alabama Secretary of State 2006 Election Information

Official campaign websites (archived)

• Bob Riley for Governor
• Loretta Nall for Governor
• Don Siegelman for Governor
• Roy Moore for Governor

Notes and References

1. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=0b98a507-8fb0-476b-86da-9f813ca58f18&q=27225 Survey USA
2. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=48214464-f13f-4066-bf85-9e9c2b7f46d6&q=27225 Survey USA
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200216/http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews%2F1148203513219560.xml%3Fmobileregister%3Fnmet&coll=3&thispage=1 Press-Register/University of South Alabama Poll
4. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=75029470-195a-44df-bb35-9c19dc1c0306&q=27225 Survey USA
5. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=0b98a507-8fb0-476b-86da-9f813ca58f18&q=27224 Survey USA
6. https://web.archive.org/web/20060602003851/http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews%2F114880824644810.xml&coll=3 Press-Register/University of South Alabama Poll
7. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=48214464-f13f-4066-bf85-9e9c2b7f46d6&q=27224 Survey USA
8. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=75029470-195a-44df-bb35-9c19dc1c0306&q=27224 Survey USA
9. Web site: 2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006. The Cook Political Report. October 1, 2006. June 5, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080605094803/https://cookpolitical.com/races/report_pdfs/2006_gov_ratings_nov6.pdf. dead.
10. Web site: Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS . Sabato's Crystal Ball . June 25, 2021.
11. Web site: 2006 Gubernatorial Ratings . Senate Ratings . The Rothenberg Political Report . June 25, 2021.
12. Web site: Election 2006 . Real Clear Politics . June 25, 2021.
13. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=649a6caa-9f4e-443d-8ee6-f75ebcd06d57 Survey USA
14. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=bbd00a24-442c-44b8-8aba-7626bd88427c Survey USA
15. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=50059c14-db68-4e98-bfe6-d10594a24fbc Survey USA
16. https://web.archive.org/web/20060811023236/http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/August%202006/AlabamaGovernor.htm Rasmussen
17. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=2e1aedeb-cff9-4ad3-af7c-710a2a33f9af&q=28863 Survey USA
18. https://web.archive.org/web/20061007002423/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/June%202006/alabamagovernor06192006.htm Rasmussen
19. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=f51bd98d-857b-40ea-b98b-6881861a073b Survey USA
20. https://web.archive.org/web/20060620073301/http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews%2F1150636730239300.xml&coll=3 Press-Register/University of South Alabama poll
21. https://web.archive.org/web/20060518052220/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/May%202006/Alabama%20Governor%20May.htm Rasmussen
22. https://web.archive.org/web/20060619201145/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/April%202006/Alabama%20Governor%20April.htm Rasmussen
23. https://web.archive.org/web/20060319210219/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/February%202006/Alabama%20Governor%20February.htm Rasmussen
24. https://web.archive.org/web/20060308082658/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/January%202006/Alabama%20Governor%20January.htm Rasmussen