JOHN McCAIN 2008, INC. (March 1, 2007)
JOHN McCAIN 2008 - THE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE  (filed with the FEC to establish on Nov. 16, 2006)
STRAIGHT TALK AMERICA (2006 cycle)

ALABAMA LEADERSHIP TEAM  (announced Jan. 29, 2008)
Southeastern United States Congressional Chair
Congressman Spencer Bachus, Birmingham

State Chair
Attorney General Troy King, Montgomery

Honorary Chair
Former Alabama GOP Chairman Winton Blount, Montgomery

Legislators for McCain Co-Chairs
State Senator Ben Brooks, Mobile
State Representative Cam Ward, Alabaster

Legislators for McCain
State Representative Warren Beck, Geneva
State Representative Randy Davis, Daphne
State Representative Owen Drake, Leeds
State Representative Joe Faust, Fairhope
State Senator Steve French, Birmingham
State Representative Todd Greeson, Ider
State Representative Mike Hill, Columbiana
State Representative Jim McClendon, Springville
State Representative Allen Treadaway, Morris
State Representative Jack Williams, Birmingham

Veteran Chair
Don Fisher, Montgomery

Veteran Co-Chairs
Roland Day, Birmingham
Gen. Charles Ingram, Troy
Capt. Hal Pierce, Daphne

Mayoral Chair
Mayor Pat Thomas, Dothan

Mayoral Co-Chairs
Mayor Sheldon Day, Thomasville
Mayor Tim Kant, Fairhope

Lawyers for McCain Co-Chairs
Judge Terry Butts, Luverne
Matt Lembke, Birmingham
 

Newspaper Endorsements
Anniston Star   (02/01/08)
Birmingham News   (02/03/08)
The Daily Home [Talladega], St. Clair Times   (02/03/08)
Decatur Daily  (02/03/08)
Montgomery Advertiser   (01/27/08)
Selma Times-Journal   (02/03/08)
Times Daily [Florence]  (02/03/08)
Tuscaloosa News   (01/20/08)
 
 
 

updated July 2007
Headquarters: 111 Washington Avenue, Suite 301,  Montgomery, AL 36102
 

Co-Chair

Attorney General Troy King

(announced Aug. 30, 2006)  Alabama Attorney General since 2004, when he was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley (R); seeking election to the office in 2006.  Previously a legal advisor to Gov. Riley.  Four years as an Assistant Attorney General to Attorney General Bill Pryor, 1999-2003.  Deputy executive secretary/deputy legal advisor to Gov. Fob James.  J.D. from University of Alabama School of Law, 1994; B.S. in History and Social Sciences from Troy State University, 1990.  From Elba, AL
 
 

Campaign Manager

Tim Howe

(announced Feb. 7, 2007, left in June 2007)  Left position as executive director of the Alabama Republican Party to join the McCain campaign.  Campaign manager for Justice Mike Bolin's successful Supreme Court campaign in 2004.  Deputy campaign manager for Justice Harold See during his successful re-election campaign in 2002.
 
 

Field Director

Sommer Hawthorne

(announced Feb. 7, 2007)  Leaving position as field director of the Alabama Republican Party to join the McCain campaign.  Previously served as the party’s deputy finance director.
 
 

Senior Advisor

Dax Swatek

(announced Jan. 30, 2007, out as a result of the July 2007 restructuring)  President of Dax R. Swatek & Associates, a governmental and political affairs firm.  Recently served as general consultant and campaign manager to Gov. Bob Riley’s re-election campaign.  He has also served as a consultant to Rep. Robert Aderholt, Rep. Mike Rogers, and House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard.
 

Senior Advisor

David Azbell

(announced Feb. 1, 2007, out as a result of the July 2007 restructuring)  Founder and president of Azbell Communications, a strategic communications, consulting, public policy, and public affairs firm.  Press secretary to Gov. Bob Riley during his ‘02 campaign and during his first administration.  Deputy secretary of state to Secretary Jim Bennett from 1999-2002.  Spokesman for Governors Fob James and George Wallace.
 
 

Finance Chairman

Tom Young

(announced Sept. 14, 2006)  CEO of Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Huntsville.  Previously served as executive vice president at Intergraph Corporation, a Huntsville-based software and services company.  Sought the Republican nomination for Congress in Alabama's 2nd CD in 2002.  Twelve years as chief of staff to Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).  Worked for the King & Spalding law firm and for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.  Mobile native.
 

County Leadership (announced May 1, 2007)  ...30 of the 67 counties

Autauga County  Chair - Richard Lively	Baldwin County  Chair - State Representative Randy Davis Vice Chair - District Attorney Judy Newcomb Vice Chair - Sheriff Hoss Mack Steering Comm. Chair - Commissioner Wayne Gruenloh Steering Comm. Co-Chair - Commissioner Skip Gruber	Bibb County  Chair - Probate Judge Jerry Pow Co-Chair - Alice Lightsey
Blount County  Chair - Brett King	Chilton County Chair - Becky Pierce	Clay County  Chair - Larry Fetner
Cleburne County  Chair - Bud Davidson	Coffee County  Chair - Skip Taylor	Covington County  Chair - County Commissioner Greg White
Crenshaw County  Chair - Suze Butts	Cullman County  Chair - City Councilman Wayne Walker	Dale County  Chair - Ben Baker Co-Chair - Eric Bast
DeKalb County  Chair - D.L. Stiefel	Elmore County Chair - District Attorney Randall Houston	Escambia County Chair - Robert Maxwell
Geneva County  Chair - State Representative Warren Beck	Houston County  Chair - Houston County GOP Chair Butch Binford	Jefferson County  Chair - State Representative Owen Drake
Lee County  Chair - Joan Smith	Limestone County  Chair - Ronnie Coffman	Madison County  Chair - State Representative Mike Ball
Marshall County  Chair - Natalie Burke	Mobile County  Chair - State Senator Ben Brooks Co-Chair - State Representative Spencer Collier Vice Chair - County Commissioner Mike Dean	Montgomery County Chair - Scott Key
Morgan County  Chair - Mac Alexander	Randolph County  Chair - Gary Clark	Shelby County  Chair - State Representative Mike Hill Co-Chair - Shelby County GOP Chair Matt Fridy
St. Clair County Chair - State Representative Jim McClendon	Tallapoosa County  Chair - James Harkins	Winston County  Chair - Circuit Clerk J.D. Snoddy

Southeast Co-Chair - Congressman Spencer Bachus
Southeast Legislative Co-Chair - State Senator Steve French
Legislative Chair - State Senator Bradley Byrne
Legislative Co-Chair - State Representative Cam Ward
Regional Vice Chair - State Senator Ben Brooks
Conservative Coalition/Social Conservatives for McCain Chair - State Senator Scott Beason
Veterans Chair - Don Fisher
Veterans Co-Chair - Roland Day
Veterans Vice Chair - Charles Ingram
Veterans Vice Chair - Hal Pierce
Mayoral Chair - Mayor Sheldon Day
Mayoral Vice Chair - Mayor Pat Thomas
District Attorney Chair - Randall Houston
District Attorney Co-Chair - Judy Newcomb
Sheriff Chair - Hoss Mack
Lawyers for McCain Chair - Matt Lembke
Lawyers for McCain Co-Chair - Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Terry Butts
Lawyers for McCain Vice Chair - Alan Enslen
 

earlier announcements...
Alabama Mayors for McCain (announced April 9, 2007)
Tommy Joe Alexander – Irondale
Tom Bentley – Thorsby
David Bradford – Muscle Shoals
Jim Cave – Frisco City
Terry Clark – East Brewton
Harold Crouch – Chatom
Sheldon Day – Thomasville
Gary Fuller – Opelika

James Green – Columbia
Tim Kant – Fairhope
Robert McKay – Ashville
Fred McNab – Pinckard
Gene Melton – Trussville
William Mullins – Kinston

Reuben Shelley – Headland
Bernie Sullivan – Brantley
Rhett Taylor – Abbeville
Pat Thomas – Dothan
James Whitfield – Leeds
Jeff Wilson – Margaret
Stan Wright – Bayou La Batre
 

Veterans Advisory Committee
On April 25, 2007 the campaign announced a 65-member Veterans Advisory Committee chaired by United States Marine Corps veteran Don Fisher and Veterans of Foreign Wars State Commander Roland Day.
 

Legislative Chairman state Senator Bradley Byrne (announced March 8, 2007)
Legislative Co-Chairman state Representative Cam Ward  (announced March 8, 2007)

More State Legislators (endorsements announced March 1, 2007): Rep. Mike Ball of Huntsville, Rep. Owen Drake of Leeds, and Rep. Joe Faust of Fairhope.
 
 

Southeast Co-Chair

U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus (AL-6)

(announced Jan. 29, 2007)  Elected to Congress in 1992.  Chair, Alabama Republican Party, 1992.  Candidate for Attorney General, 1990.  Managed Guy Hunt's successful campaign for governor in 1986.  Elected member of the State School Board, 1986-90.  Elected to the State House of Representatives and served one term, 1984-86.  Served in the State Senate.  Partner, Bachus, Dempsey, Carson, and Steed law firm.  Graduate of Auburn University, 1969 and the University of Alabama School of Law, 1972.  Native of Birmingham.
 

Southeastern Legislative Co-Chair

State Sen. Steve French (Jefferson County)

(announced March 5, 2007; announced as member of Legislative Advisory Committee on Oct. 24, 2006)  Currently serving his third term in the Alabama State Legislature.  Experience includes director of the Alabama Republican Party and was a regional political director at the Republican National Committee.  French served as Alabama campaign manager for the Bush/Quayle '92 campaign, and as the organizational chairman for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2000 and 6th Congressional District chairman for Bush-Cheney in 2004.
 
 

Supporter

Winton Blount III

(endorsement announced Feb. 6, 2007)  Former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, elected in 1999 and led the party for a two-year term.  Previously served as the party’s state finance director.  Candidate for governor in 1994 and 1998; narrowly lost the Republican nomination both times.
 
 

Legal Counsel

Matt Lembke

(announced Feb. 15, 2007)  Heads the appellate litigation practice group at the law firm of Bradley Arant Rose & White.
 
 

Legislative Advisory Committee
(announced Oct. 11, 2006) 18 Alabama Representatives: Cam Ward (Bibb and Shelby Counties), Warren Beck (Geneva and Houston Counties), Greg Canfield (Jefferson and Shelby County), Spencer Collier (Mobile County), Randy Davis (Baldwin and Mobile Counties), Mac Gipson (Autauga and Elmore Counties), Lynn Greer (Lauderdale County), Todd Greeson (DeKalb County), Mike Hill (Shelby County), Bobby Humphryes (Jefferson County), Jim McClendon (Shelby and St. Clair Counties), Albert Morton (Jefferson County), Jeremy Oden(Blount, Cullman and Morgan Counties), Allen Treadaway (Jefferson County), Jack Williams (Jefferson County), Nick Williams (Choctaw, Clarke and Washington Counties), Randy Wood (Calhoun and St. Clair Counties) and Mary Sue McClurken (Jefferson and Shelby Counties).
(announced Oct. 24, 2006) 7 Alabama Senators: Scott Beason (Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair Counties), Larry Dixon (Elmore and Montgomery Counties), Steve French (Jefferson County), Rusty Glover (Mobile County), Curt Lee (Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston Counties), Harri Anne Smith (Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston Counties), and Jabo Waggoner (Jefferson and Shelby Counties).

Alabama Youth Advisory Committee
On Oct. 23, 2006, Straight Talk America announced an Alabama Youth Advisory Committee comprising 25 College Republican leaders from around the state.
 
 
 
 

Unofficial

Straight Talk Alabama
About the Site:
First postings July 12, 2006.

"This blog will follow the P2008 race and in particular how it pertains the people of Alabama.

"We [clearly] favor Sen. John McCain getting the GOP nomination in 2008 because we believe he’s the best choice for Alabama and for America.

"Additionally, we’ll mix in a little commentary here and there about what’s going on in the always interesting world of Alabama politics."
 
 

Note:
The Birmingham News reported on Dec. 7, 2006 that in 2006 McCain's PAC had "doled out $117,750 to Alabama candidates and party committees, plus another $4,700 in in-kind contributions."
 
 

Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action