Montgomery, AL – Republican State Treasurer Kay Ivey is leaving the governor's race to run for lieutenant governor.
Ivey said Wednesday she believes she can be a more effective candidate in the race for lieutenant governor, where the field is much smaller than the governor's race.
She joins Baldwin County school teacher Gene Ponder, Gulf Shores businessman Dean Young, and state Sen. Hank Erwin of Montevallo in the Republican primary on June 1. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Jim Folsom Jr.
Ivey's switch comes two days before the qualifying deadline for candidates.
Erwin says Ivey's late entry into the race won't change his strategy. He said he's focused on Folsom and ending 135 years of Democratic control in the Alabama Senate.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)