By Associated Press
Washington, D.C. – Neither of the state's Senate seats is open, while almost half of its seven House incumbents are running unopposed.
Of the four contested House campaigns, political observers predict lopsided victories for the Republican incumbents.
Political scientist Carl Grafton at Auburn University Montgomery says these are safe districts.
Democrats have had a particularly hard time fielding competitive candidates this cycle.
All four of the party's general election challengers filed as candidates within one day of the April Seventh deadline. Many said they had no plans to run until they were asked by party officials.
Charles Dean James, an Army veteran from Ozark, says he hadn't planned on another run after taking just 29 percent of the vote in a 2004 challenge to Second District Republican Congressman Terry Everett of Rehobeth, a seven-term incumbent.
Along with the Second District rematch, voters will choose between two-term Mobile Republican incumbent Jo Bonner and Democrat Vivian Beckerle in southwest Alabama's First District.
In the Third District covering much of the state's eastern territory, Greg Pierce, a telecommunications technician from Alexander City who was the Democratic nominee for public service commissioner in 2002, is challenging two-term Republican incumbent Mike Rogers of Saks. Independent candidate Mark Layfield, a real estate broker, also is challenging Rogers.
In the central-northern Fourth District, five-term incumbent Robert Aderholt of Haleyville faces Barbara Bobo, a small newspaper owner who was mayor of Millport for 20 years.
One bright spot for the Democratic party this year is that its two House incumbents, eight-term Congressman Bud Cramer of Huntsville and two-term Congressman Artur Davis of Birmingham, are running unopposed.
Seven-term Republican incumbent Spencer Bachus of Birmingham also does not face opposition.