Speculation is circulating in Alabama Republican circles that U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner could be positioning himself for a run at the governor’s office in 2010, after the Mobile congressman landed a coveted assignment on the House Appropriations Committee. The chatter comes even as another, more distant name has floated around Alabama political talk for a later cycle: NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who has mentioned interest in a 2014 run.
For now, though, it is the 2010 race drawing attention, and Bonner’s new committee post has fueled talk that he is quietly building toward a statewide campaign. Bonner pushed back on that framing without closing the door entirely.
“Look, I love my job,” Bonner said. “I feel like this new committee assignment will give me a chance to – and I don’t mean in terms of bringing more projects back to Alabama – but I think this is a good fit, even though the environment is different and we’re going to have to make some tough decisions.”
The timing of the speculation is notable. On the same day the talk intensified, officials announced that an air tanker assembly plant would be built in Mobile – the payoff of the long-running competition between Boeing and the Northrop Grumman-EADS team for a massive Air Force refueling tanker contract. A win of that magnitude, delivering thousands of aerospace jobs to Mobile, could hand Bonner a wave of local popularity heading into any future statewide bid.
Bonner, however, said he had not decided whether to pursue the governor’s mansion in Montgomery. He was candid about what a serious campaign would require. “I like what I’m doing, and I’m confident we’ve got a good list of qualified men and women that are out there that would be able to focus the time and resources in the tune of $15 million to run for governor,” he said.
The congressman has previously said he dislikes the fundraising grind that a statewide race would demand, though he did not rule it out completely. “I’m not going to tell you that I one day won’t consider looking down the road, but right now the road I’m looking down is being the best congressman I can be for southwest Alabama,” he said.
Bonner argued it made little sense to dwell on a race two years away. “I don’t see a scenario. I think the person who runs for governor will have an obligation – on our [the Republican] side – to continue build on the foundation that [Gov.] Bob Riley has laid for us and I think there are a lot of people out there that will build on that foundation and keep us moving in the right direction,” he said.
With his own re-election bid for the 1st Congressional District seat only months away, Bonner said his focus was squarely on that race rather than any statewide ambitions. “I just don’t think it just serves any purpose to speculate about an election that’s two years away, when I’ve got one that six month, seven months away,” he said. He is considered heavily favored to win re-election to the seat he has held since 2003.