A Web Address Prank Turns Sour in Mobile’s Mayoral Campaign
In March 2005 a web address bearing Ann Bedsole's name redirected to an anonymous political gadfly site, and Bess Rich's cell number appeared in the registration. Both denied any part…
Bess Rich Makes It Official, Filing Papers in a Bid to Lead Mobile
Former Mobile City Councilwoman Bess Rich formally filed for mayor in March 2005, promising sales tax relief, stronger core services and a more transparent City Hall.
Lions Club Prepares to Roast the Outgoing Mayor of Mobile
The Mobile Lions Club scheduled a March 31, 2005 roast of retiring Mayor Mike Dow, with allies and old critics alike lined up to take their turn at the microphone.
Consultants, Strategists and a Defection: Mobile’s Mayoral Campaigns Staff Up
By March 2005, Mobile's mayoral candidates were assembling professional campaign teams, and one veteran local adman crossed the aisle from John Peavy's camp to Ann Bedsole's.
Dow’s Exit Sets Off a Scramble: The 2005 Race for Mayor of Mobile Takes Shape
With Mayor Mike Dow preparing to confirm he would not seek a fifth term, Mobile's 2005 mayoral field began to form around Ann Bedsole, Sam Jones, John Peavy and Bess…
Insiders Weigh a Racially Divided Mayor’s Race, and a Long-Shot Fix for Annexation
In December 2004, Mobile political insiders privately weighed the risks of a Peavy-Jones mayoral race dividing the city along racial lines, and floated a retail development as an annexation icebreaker.