Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?

Several highly placed sources in north Alabama have recently been teasing the possibility of a well-funded Republican primary challenger to Governor Robert Bentley in 2014. While I considered the sources extremely reliable, their unwillingness to get into details made me question whether they had hard information, or were just speculating.

This morning I received a phone call from one of those sources who said they were finally willing to give me a name. “It’s Mary Scott Hunter,” the source said. “She’s being encouraged to get into the race by major players with significant financial resources.”

Hunter is a Huntsville-based member of the Alabama School Board representing District 8, which includes Limestone, Madison, Jackson, Dekalb and Etowah county. She also has deep ties to south Alabama after growing up in Baldwin County.

Her prior experience includes a decade in the U.S. Air Force as a Judge Advocate General, ownership of a small technology firm, and her current role as corporate counsel for Intuitive Research and Development in Huntsville.

I spoke to Mrs. Hunter this afternoon and she did not rule out the possibility of challenging Governor Bentley.

“I have very much enjoyed my work on the board. I’ve found it to be deeply satisfying,” she said. “But I’m not ruling out any options.”

She has posted several tweets recently that are critical of Alabama’s current economic situation, further fueling speculation that she may be eyeing an office other than the State School Board.

Of 5 U.S. metros that saw income decline, 2 were in Alabama…these signs worry me, & we must reverse. bit.ly/15ZrV4L

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) June 13, 2013

Ouch!Alabama GDP grew at half the pace of U.S. economy in 2012, ranked 39th | al.com al.com/business/index…

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) June 9, 2013

AL’s economic recovery flat since early 2011, markedly slower than US recovery | al.comal.com/business/index…

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) May 19, 2013

What do you think? Would you vote for Hunter for governor, or do you plan on supporting Governor Bentley’s re-election effort?

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