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The 50 most powerful & influential people in Alabama

Mike Hubbard
Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives

[tps_title]Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives[/tps_title]

Hubbard’s tenacity on the political battlefield is the stuff of legend. Inspired by the political tactics laid out in “The Thumping,” a book by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Hubbard masterfully orchestrated the Republican takeover of the legislature in 2010.

His House colleagues rewarded him with the most powerful post in state government: Speaker of the House.

The way Alabama’s government is structured places significant power in the legislative branch. The rules of the legislature make the Speaker of the House its strongest position. Put a political animal like Hubbard in that seat and you have all the makings of one of the most powerful players the state has ever seen.

He engenders a great deal of loyalty from his caucus, as evidenced by the fact that his members rallied around him as he confronted a tough legal situation. This year’s influx of new members has complicated his job a bit and made the already large Republican majority a bit more unwieldy, but Hubbard’s influence over the legislative process remains unmatched.

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