Congresswoman Martha Roby recently announced her retirement as the representative for the Second Congressional District leaving an opening that others hope to fill.
Persistent rumors around Montgomery — stretching into the Wiregrass — suggest that former Attorney General Troy King will run for the vacant U.S. House seat.
Reportedly, King is consulting friends and family about the possibility of a bid for Roby’s spot, but he has yet to confirm his intentions.
King is a well known public figure statewide, but to gauge his viability in AL-2, APR looked at King’s vote totals in the district from the 2018 Republican Primary in which he ran for attorney general in a crowded field of heavyweight contenders.
In the primary match up with Birmingham attorney Chess Bedsole, appointed Attorney General Steve Marshall and former U.S Attorney Alice Martin, King handily dispatched each opponent in AL-2 with 46.05 percent of the vote in the four-way race.
In Crenshaw, Pike, Henry and Covington Counties, King earned over 50 percent of the vote. No other candidate broke 25 percent in any county in AL-2 except for Marshall’s 27.44 percent in Montgomery County.
If King decides to enter the fray, he comes in with not only strong name recognition but also a winning voting record.
State Rep. Will Dismukes, R-Prattville, Dothan area businessman Jeff Coleman and former State Rep. Barry Moore have announced they are seeking the Republican nomination in the March 3, 2020 primary. State Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, is said to be still considering a run.
Coleman, who is a relative newcomer to state politics may prove to be the most formidable candidate and has pledged to contribute up to five million dollars of his personal fortune to secure the primary election.
Coleman is president and CEO of Midland City-based Coleman Worldwide Moving, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014. His personal wealth is estimated in the tens of millions.
King served as state attorney general from 2004 until 2011. He was targeted in the 2010 primary by then-governor Bob Riley and Mike Hubbard with whom he had clashed on several issues, most notably challenging Riley’s bingo wars as unlawful.
King’s vote totals from AL-2 in the 2018 Republican Primary may bode well for a run for Roby’s old seat.
Second Congressional District breakdown for 2018 Republican primary:
Chess Bedsole
Total votes: 16,212
Percentage: 16.97 percent
Troy King
Total votes: 43,993
Percentage: 46.05 percent
Steve Marshall
Total votes: 18,563
Percentage:19.43 percent
Alice Martin
Total votes: 16,766
Percentage: 17.55 percent
Best King Counties
Crenshaw: 56.28 percent
Pike: 54.33 percent
Henry: 54.16 percent
Covington: 50.29 percent
Coffee: 45.11 percent
