Via CBS News: Cramer Announces Retirement
House Republicans got a rare bit of encouraging news today when Rep. Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) announced he would be stepping down after nine terms in Congress, opening up a conservative-minded seat in northern Alabama.
[...]
A founder of the conservative-leaning Blue Dog Democrats, Cramer has maintained a centrist voting record during his 18 years in Congress. He has been a leading advocate for the district’s sizable aerospace industry, concentrated at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
The district, centered in Huntsville, has leaned Republican in federal races, but has a history of supporting Democrats as well. It gave President Bush 60 percent of the vote in 2004, and 54 percent in 2000.
Alabama’s Fifth District runs across the top of the state:
Given the way the district voted for president in 2000 and 2004, as well as Cramer’s basically conservative record, this may be one of the only chances for a GOP pickup in November.
It also means at least two new Representatives for Alabama, as Terry Everett (AL02) has already announced his retirement, leading to quite a scramble for his seat, as the Democrats believe that they have a shot at that seat–although I would argue that the chance is an outside one.
Doc’s Political Parlor has assembled a “Big List” of possible contenders with some commentary here.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
[...] Looks like a possible GOP pick-up in north Alabama. His retirement is a surprising bit of welcome news for the GOP. Cramer was an excellent candidate. [INTERSTITIAL UPDATE - Poliblogger agrees with me - Holy Smokes!] [...]
March 15th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Painting Cramer as a conservative is a bit of a stretch. Compared to Pelosi perhaps. I used to follow his votes fairly closely. I’ve NEVER seen him vote no on a spending measure, especially if it was “for the children”. He voted for Clinton’s Crime Bill. I questioned him about that and he said there were a “lot of good things” in the bill. Yeah, and a lot of bad things too.
Cramer knew where his bread was buttered. As long as he worked to be pro military and pro space to keep all the contractors happy in Huntsville, he could pretty much do whatever else he wanted.
As for Tom Butler, I would really hate to see him get the seat. Almost every time I hear his name mentioned it’s in some connection to him wanting to legislate morality. We have him to thank for the sex toy ban that’s made a laughing stock out of Alabama.