By Steve Flowers The 1986 governor’s race will be remembered as one of Alabama’s most amazing political stories. In 1978 Fob James sent the Three Bs — Brewer, Beasley and Baxley... Read more
By Steve Flowers As George Wallace presumably faded into the sunset, Fob James took the reigns of Alabama state government in January 1979. James’ inauguration was a somewhat strange event,... Read more
By Steve Flowers The 1978 governor’s race between the three heavyweights, former Gov. Albert Brewer, Attorney General Bill Baxley and Lt. Gov. Jere Beasley was expected to be titanic. All th... Read more
By Steve Flowers Albert Brewer began the writing of George Wallace’s political obituary by beating him in the first primary in 1970. However, Wallace arose from the grave by playing his ever... Read more
By Steve Flowers Upon Lurleen Wallace’s death in May 1968, Lt. Gov. Albert Brewer moved up to governor. Brewer was no novice to state government. He came to the legislature from Morgan Count... Read more
By Steve Flowers After Ryan De Graffenreid’s plane crash and death in February 1966 the governor’s race was wide open. De Graffenreid would have been governor in a cakewalk but it was now a... Read more
By Steve Flowers If race was a major issue in 1958, being the racist candidate in 1962 was the only way to be elected governor. With this issue in hand and George Wallace’s love for campaign... Read more
By Steve Flowers The 1962 governor’s race really began in 1958. The governor’s office and the race for it was the big show in Alabama politics in that era. Being a U.S. senator was secondary... Read more