2014 Alabama gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2014 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Alabama. Incumbent Governor Robert J. Bentley won a second term over Democrat Parker Griffith. This was the first Alabama gubernatorial race where either Choctaw and/or Conecuh counties voted Republican. This alongside the concurrent Senate race is the last time Jefferson County voted Republican in any statewide election. Bentley did not complete this term; he resigned in April 2017 due to a scandal and was succeeded by fellow Republican Kay Ivey.
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November 4, 2014
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  Bentley: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Griffith: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Robert J. Bentley, incumbent Governor[1][2]
- Stacy Lee George, former Morgan County Commissioner[3]
- Bob Starkey, retired software company owner and candidate for Mayor of Scottsboro in 2012[4]
Declined
- Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville[5]
- Bradley Byrne, U.S. Representative and candidate for Governor in 2010 (ran for re-election)[2][6]
- David Carrington, President of the Jefferson County Commission (ran for re-election)[7]
- Beth Chapman, former Secretary of State of Alabama[8]
- Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives (ran for re-election)[9]
- Mary Scott Hunter, Member of the Alabama State Board of Education (ran for re-election)[10]
- Kay Ivey, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama (ran for re-election)[11]
- Tim James, businessman, son of former Governor Fob James and candidate for Governor in 2002 and 2010[2]
- Del Marsh, President Pro Tempore of the Alabama Senate (ran for re-election)[11]
- Roy Moore, Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and candidate for Governor in 2006 and 2010[2]
- Tony Petelos, Jefferson County Manager and former Mayor of Hoover[2]
- Bob Riley, former governor of Alabama[11]
- Luther Strange, Attorney General of Alabama (ran for re-election)[12]
Polling
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Robert J. Bentley |
Bob Riley |
Other/ Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Survey Research Center[15] | May 21–23; June 4–6, 2012 | 315 | ± 5.5% | 49.5% | 27.6% | 23.9% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert J. Bentley (incumbent) | 388,247 | 89.35% | |
| Republican | Stacy Lee George | 25,134 | 5.78% | |
| Republican | Bob Starkey | 21,144 | 4.87% | |
| Total votes | 434,525 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Kevin Bass, businessman, former professional baseball player and candidate for Mayor of Fayette in 2012[17]
- Parker Griffith, former U.S. Representative, a former republican while serving in congress[18]
Declined
- Billy Beasley, state senator[19]
- Regina Benjamin, former Surgeon General of the United States[20][21]
- Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court[20][22][23]
- Vivian Davis Figures, Minority Leader of the Alabama Senate and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008[24]
- Craig Ford, Minority Leader of the Alabama House of Representatives[25]
- Pete Johnson, retired Jefferson County Judge[26]
- John Rogers, state representative[2]
- Robert Vance, Jefferson County Circuit Judge and nominee for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in 2012[27]
Endorsements
Parker Griffith
- Organizations
Results
Griffith:
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Bass:
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Tie:
- 50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Parker Griffith | 115,433 | 63.90% | |
| Democratic | Kevin Bass | 65,225 | 36.10% | |
| Total votes | 180,658 | 100.00% | ||
Independents
Candidates
Declined
- Charles Barkley, former NBA player[30]
General election
Endorsements
Robert J. Bentley (R)
- Organizations
- Alabama Forestry Association[31]
- Business Council of Alabama[32]
- NRA Political Victory Fund[33]
- Alabama Farmers Federation[34]
- Alabama Retail Association[35]
- Conservative Christians of Alabama[36]
- Alabama Republican Assembly[37]
- Alabama Association of Realtors[38]
Parker Griffith (D)
- Organizations
- Alabama Voter's Coalition[39]
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers[40]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[41] | Solid R | November 3, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[42] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[43] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Real Clear Politics[44] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Robert Bentley (R) |
Parker Griffith (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[45] | October 16–23, 2014 | 661 | ± 6% | 63% | 25% | 0% | 12% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[46] | September 20 – October 1, 2014 | 692 | ± 4% | 65% | 28% | 1% | 6% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[47] | August 18 – September 2, 2014 | 741 | ± 5% | 62% | 28% | 1% | 9% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[48] | July 5–24, 2014 | 1,036 | ± 5.2% | 59% | 31% | 2% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[49] | June 9–10, 2014 | 750 | ± 4% | 55% | 32% | 4% | 9% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert J. Bentley (incumbent) | 750,231 | 63.56% | +5.66% | |
| Democratic | Parker Griffith | 427,787 | 36.24% | −5.86% | |
| Write-in | 2,395 | 0.20% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 1,180,413 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Bentley won six of seven congressional districts.[51]
| District | Bentley | Griffith | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 66% | 34% | Bradley Byrne |
| 2nd | 64% | 35% | Martha Roby |
| 3rd | 64% | 36% | Mike Rogers |
| 4th | 73% | 27% | Robert Aderholt |
| 5th | 71% | 28% | Mo Brooks |
| 6th | 76% | 24% | Gary Palmer |
| 7th | 31% | 69% | Terri Sewell |