By Howard Koplowitz, AL.Com
Thirteen Republican contenders for the presidential nomination filed paperwork to be put on the ballot for the Alabama primary before Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline, according to a list from the Alabama Republican Party.
Only two of the major Republican candidates didn’t submit the paperwork: ex-New York Gov. George Pataki and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Those that did were:
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham
Ex-Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
Arkansas Sen. Mike Huckabee
Real estate mogul Donald J. Trump
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley all qualified, as did California man Rocque “Rocky” de la Fuente, according to an Alabama Democratic Party employee. A further update showed Kennedy K. Brown, whose campaign operates out of Birmingham, is also on the ballot.
Alabama is holding its primary on March 1 along with several southern states that comprise the so-called “SEC Primary,” named after the college football conference.
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is facing four Republican primary opponents in his re-election effort: ex-state Sen. Shadrack McGill; former Marine and Birmingham businessman Jonathan McConnell; Marcus Bowman; and John Martin.
Charles Nana and Ron Crumpton qualified for the senate election on the Democratic side.
In U.S. House races, four of Alabama’s six Republican members of Congress will have primaries, and three of them also have Democratic opposition. And the lone Democrat, Terri Sewell of Birmingham, has a Republican challenger: David Van Williams.
Republican Dean Young is challenging Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope.
Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, has two Republican opponents: Wetumpka Tea Party co-founder Becky Gerritson and Robert “Bob” Rogers.
Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, will go up against ex-Phenix City Board of Education Superintendent Larry DiChiari in the GOP primary. Phenix City resident Jesse Smith is running on the Democratic line.
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, is being primaried by military veteran and nuclear health physics technologist Phil Norris.
The other Republican members of Congress, Reps. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, and Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, both had Democratic opponents.
Brooks will square off against Florence pastor Dr. Will Boyd while Palmer is being challenged by retired Vestavia Hills resident David Putman.
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