Candidates For 2008 Senate Race

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By The Associated Press

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Candidates For 2008 Senate Race

Published: Fri, April 04, 2008 - 7:10 pm
Last Updated: Friday, April 04, 2008 - 7:15 pm

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Voters trying to pick a U.S. Senate
candidate in Alabama can choose between a "Choo-Choo" and a "No
NCAA" who used to be known as "Rodeo Clown."
There are also more traditional names, such as Jeff, Johnny and
Vivian.
Today was the deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates
to sign up for the party primaries on June 3, and enough signed up
for the Senate to require primaries in both parties.
The Republican primary will feature incumbent Jeff Sessions of
Mobile against Earl Mack Gavin of Smiths Station.
Gavin has run unsuccessfully for public office before as a
Democrat. During his Democratic days, he used the nickname
"Choo-Choo." He says he decided not to list it on the ballot this
time because a lot of people thought he was joking. But he says he
wasn't. He got the nickname because of his ability to mimic trains.
On the Democratic side, there's state Senator Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile, Johnny Swanson of Birmingham, and Mark "No NCAA" Townsend of Haleyville.
Townsend ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002
using the nickname "Rodeo Clown." He's a truck driver, not a
rodeo clown, but the nickname apparently got voters' attention. He
finished third in a five-candidate field.
This time around he chose "No NCAA."
It's more fitting because he sued the National Collegiate
Athletic Association in 2001. He's also complained about the NCAA
football telecasts not showing college bands playing the national
anthem before the games or performing at halftime.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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