Roger Bedford Runs for Governor--Yes, Really

Virginia native Roger H. Bedford Jr. has announced his plans to run for governor of the State of Alabama. Bedford, dubbed the "Prince of Pork" by the Tuscaloosa News, currently serves as Democratic State Senator for the 6th Congressional District consisting of parts of Colbert, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, and Winston Counties. The 2000 U.S. Census found that 18% of this district is functionally illiterate.

Bedford himself is hardly uneducated. An undergraduate of the University of Alabama, he received his juris doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Bedford is married to heiress Maudie Darby, daughter of the late Southern Sash founder Elton H. Darby Sr., a man Sports Illustrated called a "multi-zillionaire."

Among his affiliations, Bedford lists the Baptist Church, National Rifle Association, and Ducks Unlimited. He has also been closely linked to former Gov. Don Siegelman and Marion County industrialist Dennis "Blue" Harbor.

Having lost to Jeff Sessions in his 1996 bid for the U.S. Senate, it remains to be seen if Bedford has the name recognition to win the 2010 Democratic Party nomination. Perhaps more to the point, does Roger Bedford have the right kind of name recognition?


Tomorrow: The lawsuits.