Democrats Say 'Let the People Vote'

Alabama Governor Bob Riley has once again gone against the wishes of local government officials and appointed George F. Bowman, a retired two-star Army general, to replace former Jefferson County Commissioner Larry Langford who was elected recently as Birmingham's new mayor.

The announcement was immediately attacked by Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham, who said in a press release that he will join outraged Jefferson County voters who were ready to elect a replacement for Langford. The bipartisan Jefferson County Election Commission had already scheduled an election for February 5, 2008.

Governor Bob Riley made this same mistake in a majority Democratic Mobile County Commission district after the election of Sam Jones as mayor. A lawsuit was filed in that case and the governor was forced to call a special election, which was subsequently won by a Democrat.

A three-judge panel from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that Department of Justice preclearance must be sought prior to such appointments.

"Clearly Governor Riley is thwarting the democratic process here and denying the voters of Jefferson County their right to elect a representative to the county commission," Turnham said. "This action is clearly contradictory to the ruling of the 11 th Circuit Court, it violates the Voting Rights Act, and it flies in the face of a bipartisan decision by an official election commission to hold an election for this seat."

Turnham said the Democratic Party and citizens of the county will exhaust every legal and political remedy to ensure that voters, not the governor, choose their representation on the Jefferson County Commission - as prescribed by law.