By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A special election has been scheduled to fill the House seat in west Alabama that was vacated by Bobby Singleton. Singleton resigned after being elected to the state Senate in January. Governor Riley has set a March 18 qualifying deadline for the party primaries. The primaries will be held May 3. If runoffs are necessary, they'll be held June 14, with the general election on July 19. If runoffs are not necessary, the general election will be June 14. Alabama Democratic Party chair Redding Pitt has complained that the Governor was taking too long to call the election in House District 72. It is a mostly black district that normally favors Democrats. Pitt says Riley scheduled a special election to replace former Representative Mark Gaines in a mostly Republican district within three days after Gaines resigned.