Baxley Kicks Off Campaign For Alabama Governor 1/4/06
Baxley, Alabama's first female lieutenant governor, is seeking to become the state's second woman governor. Lurleen Wallace became the first, but she won the 1966 race as a stand-in for her husband, Gov. George C. Wallace, who was barred by law from succeeding himself at that time.
"For the past 40 years, we have picked governors by saying, `Well, the new guy can't possibly be as bad as the old guy,'" Baxley said. "Well, this year I don't think the new guy should be a guy at all. I think it should be a woman, and I am that woman."
Speaking to more than 250 people at a meeting hall near the Capitol, Baxley laid out a lengthy campaign platform that included better state insurance coverage for children from low-income families, protecting tax revenue for public education from being used for other purposes, and toughening ethics laws to prohibit a public official from receiving more than $250 in one year from a person or group.
She also promised to create a Cabinet-level position to work on small business development and advocated a tax credit for small businesses that provide health insurance for their employees.
Former Lt. Gov. George McMillan of Birmingham, who showed up wearing a "We Love Lucy" sticker, said he was attracted by Baxley's record of public service and her ability to get people to work together.
"She could be a unifier, which is what this state needs," McMillan said.
Baxley, 68, is making her first race for governor, but she's no stranger to gubernatorial campaigns. She was married to former Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley when he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1978 and 1986. They divorced after the 1986 race, and she is now married to Jim Smith.
She sold real estate before beginning her own political career in 1994, when she was elected state treasurer. She won re-election in 1998 and was elected lieutenant governor in 2002.
Baxley faces former Gov. Don Siegelman and Pelham lawyer Harry Lyon in the Democratic primary on June 6. Gov. Bob Riley and ousted Chief Justice Roy Moore are running in the Republican primary that same day. The general election is Nov. 7.
Baxley did not mention Siegelman and his recent indictment by a federal grand jury on government corruption charges. But William Stewart, a political scientist at the University of Alabama who watched her speech, said there was no question she was referring to Siegelman when she told the crowd that she had handled millions of state dollars during her two terms as state treasurer, and the honesty of her administration was never questioned.
Her campaign chairman is Ann Payne, who served in Siegelman's Cabinet as director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, and her kickoff audience included several former Siegelman supporters.
Mac McArthur, executive director of the Alabama State Employees Association, said his group supported Siegelman for governor when he won in 1998 and when he lost in 2002. The association hasn't made an endorsement yet in the governor's race, but Baxley is popular with many association members, McArthur said.
"Lucy Baxley has a tremendous amount of support among working Alabamians, especially state employees," McArthur said.
Garlin Cheatham of Hartselle, who served as Morgan County coordinator for Siegelman in several elections, said he didn't like some of the staff Siegelman had around him when he was governor, and Baxley is now his candidate.
"Lucy is down to earth. She can communicate with the people, and that's what we need in Alabama," he said.
Responding to Baxley's remarks Wednesday, Siegelman said, "I love Lucy like everyone else. She's a sweet lady." But he said his advocacy of a state lottery demonstrates the differences between them, and he hopes to demonstrate those differences to voters through a series of debates, if she will agree.
In Baxley's kickoff speech, she described herself as a country girl who became a success through hard work.
"As a daughter of the earth in rural southeast Alabama, as a hardworking single mother and as a businesswoman, I know personally the stakes and the struggles of everyday life, and I know that as governor I can do better than what we have seen in that office."
She also talked about her religious faith and quoted what she said has been her favorite Bible verse since she was a little girl: Luke 10:27 about loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself.
Stewart said Baxley sounded like a traditional Democrat when she talked about rising from her humble beginnings, and she made an appeal to voters who might be looking at Moore or Riley when she talked about morals and religion.
As state treasurer and lieutenant governor, Baxley has traditionally worn red suits or dresses. She became so famous for her red attire that people would inquire when she wore another color. But she broke with tradition for her kickoff by wearing a black suit and white blouse.
"I'm in serious business now. I'm shifting to a gubernatorial look," she said after her speech.
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