“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here.
1. Lowell Barron served as Mayor of Fyffe, AL from 1968 until being elected to the Alabama Senate in 1982. He rose to be one of the most powerful Democrats in the state serving as President Pro Tem and Rules Chairman at different times during his Senate tenure. In one of the biggest upsets in recent Alabama political history, Republican Shadrack McGill bested Barron by 500 votes in the 2010 election. Not much has been heard from Barron since his unexpected loss, but insiders are saying he is considering trying to make a comeback. Rumor has it that Barron is eyeing a run for Lt. Gov. against Kay Ivey in 2014.
Remember that time Lowell Barron caught a right hook from Charles Bishop on the Senate floor? Sheesh…
2. A couple of former Alabama elected officials are kicking around the idea of launching a political blog and have begun pitching the project to veteran reporters. Yellowhammer would welcome another new kid on the block.
3. Mike Hubbard’s book is getting rave reviews from national political figures and local media alike (Great write-up from George Talbot today). Yellowhammer learned this morning that Hubbard has been invited to discuss the book as a guest on Mike Huckabee’s radio show next week.
4. Bradley Byrne’s name began popping up in the rumor mill after he publicly opposed the proposed constitutional amendment that was a part of the last minute budget deal that came at the close of the regular session. Is Byrne beginning to look for opportunities to publicly contrast himself with Gov. Bentley? Is he hoping to get the band back together for another run in 2014?
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