Loretta Spencer | |
---|---|
66th [1] Mayor of Huntsville | |
In office October 4, 1996 –November 3, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Steve Hettinger |
Succeeded by | Tommy Battle |
Personal details | |
Born | Birmingham,Alabama,U.S. | June 20,1937
Loretta Purdy Spencer (born June 20,1937) is an American politician who served as the 66th mayor of Huntsville,Alabama. Her first term began October 4,1996,and her last term ended on November 3,2008. [2]
Spencer has been a resident of Huntsville since age 7. She graduated from Huntsville High School,and holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alabama. Spencer was the first woman mayor of Huntsville,and the first woman mayor of one of Alabama's "four main cities," which also include Birmingham,Mobile and Montgomery. [3] When Spencer was first elected mayor in 1996,she was the co-owner of a local funeral home. [4] Spencer is a former teacher in the Huntsville City School System. [3] Spencer,who is divorced,has two children and four grandchildren. [5]
Spencer first ran for mayor in 1996,after then-mayor Steve Hettinger announced he would not seek another term. Spencer was supported by Hettinger,leading her runoff opponent,Larry Mullins,to attack both as agents of the status quo. [6] Facing a field of ten opponents,Spencer made the runoff,which she won by a convincing 66%–34% majority. [7]
During her first term,Spencer garnered editorial praise for rejuvenating Huntsville's economic development. The Huntsville Times stated that her "string of recent successes is a whiff of the famous optimism and spirit that characterized the city for decades." [8] At the end of her first term,Spencer was re-elected without a runoff,taking 58% of the vote. [9]
In 2004,Spencer won a third term. During the 2004 campaign,Spencer came under attack on several issues. First,she was criticized for the state of Huntsville schools. She was also criticized for allegedly favoring the wealthier southern areas of Huntsville over the northern neighborhoods with larger minority populations. This criticism may have been reflected in voting results,in which Spencer failed to carry precincts in north Huntsville. [10] Although forced into a runoff,she won that runoff with 55% of the vote. [11]
In January 2007,Spencer was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. [12] Later that year Spencer was embroiled in controversy when the fire chief she had appointed resigned after only 18 months on the job. It emerged that he resigned after Spencer confronted him over alleged sexual harassment for his conduct toward a city employee,for which the city was later sued. [13] In 2008,this suit was settled,and the city reportedly was not required to make any payment to the plaintiff. [14]
Among the accomplishments for which Spencer claims credit are a Target Distribution Center,and the construction of Toyota's V-8 engine plant in Huntsville. She points to the opening of two new schools,and in her third term,the rebuilding of one high school,with others in the planning stages. Spencer’s plan for tax incentive districts,she asserts,have provided $75,000,000 for capital improvements to Huntsville City Schools. [3] Spencer advocates volunteer involvement,and points to her own work in volunteer efforts such as the United Way,Community Free Clinic,Huntsville/Madison Co. Botanical Garden,and the Boys &Girls Club. [5]
In early 2008,Spencer found herself in election-year controversy when questions were raised about her conduct in the city’s role in relocating a homeless shelter from downtown Huntsville to a residential district several miles away. Residents near the proposed new location complained that Spencer committed the city to the move without notice to them,and homeless advocates complained that the new location was too distant from other services used by the homeless. [15]
Former Huntsville city councilman Tommy Battle announced that he would challenge Spencer in the 2008 mayoral election. Spencer announced that she would seek a fourth term in 2008. [16] [17] In the municipal election on August 26,2008,Spencer led Battle by 14,871 votes to 14,486. However,two minor candidates received 673 votes,preventing Spencer from attaining a majority,forcing a runoff with Battle. [18] In that runoff,on October 7,2008,Battle decisively defeated Spencer,by a vote of 21,123 votes or 56 percent for Battle,to 16,821 or 44 percent for Spencer. [19] In her concession speech,Spencer said,"You have set the bar high with me. You bought into what we wanted to do,and I am so proud of you for it,because you don't do it alone." [20]
Heather Fargo is an American politician who served as mayor and was a former City Council Member of Sacramento,California. She was sworn in as mayor in November 2000,replacing Jimmie R. Yee,and served until December 2008,when she was defeated for reelection by Kevin Johnson.
George Corley Wallace Jr. was the 45th governor of Alabama,serving from 1963 to 1967,again from 1971 to 1979,and finally from 1983 to 1987. He is remembered for his staunch segregationist and populist views. During Wallace's tenure as governor of Alabama,he promoted "industrial development,low taxes,and trade schools." Wallace unsuccessfully sought the United States presidency as a Democratic Party candidate three times,and once as an American Independent Party candidate,carrying five states in the 1968 election. Wallace opposed desegregation and supported the policies of "Jim Crow" during the Civil Rights Movement,declaring in his very controversial 1963 inaugural address that he stood for "segregation now,segregation tomorrow,segregation forever".
Wendy Jane Greuel is an American politician. She served as Los Angeles City Controller from 2009 to 2013. Greuel was the second woman elected to citywide office in Los Angeles,after her predecessor Laura Chick.
Stephen Ray "Steve" Hettinger is an American politician who served as mayor of Huntsville,Alabama,from 1988 to 1996. During this period,Hettinger became particularly involved in leading the recovery of the city in the aftermath of the Huntsville Tornado of 1989.
Vivian Davis Figures is an American politician who is a Democratic member of the Alabama Senate,representing the 33rd District in Mobile County since she was elected on January 28,1997,to serve the remaining term of her late husband,Senator Michael Figures,who was the President pro tempore of the Alabama Senate. She was re-elected without opposition in 1998 and 2002.
The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama were held on November 4,2008,to determine the representation of the state of Alabama in the United States House of Representatives,coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms;those elected served in the 111th Congress from January 3,2009,until January 3,2011.
Michael Craig Dow is an American politician who served as the 106th mayor of Mobile,Alabama from 1989 to 2005. He is widely credited with leading the redevelopment of downtown Mobile. He was mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2010,but declined to run.
Thomas Massengale Battle Jr. is an American businessman serving as the 67th mayor of Huntsville,Alabama. His first term began November 3,2008,and he has since been reelected four times.
The 2009 New York City Public Advocateelection took place on Tuesday,November 3,2009,along with elections for the mayor,the city comptroller,borough presidents,and members of the New York City Council. The Democratic candidate,Bill de Blasio,won election with 77% of the vote against 18% for the Republican nominee,Alex Zablocki,3.6% for the Conservative nominee,William Lee,and 1.7% for two others.
Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party,she has served since 2011 as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district,which includes most of the Black Belt,as well as most of the predominantly African American portions of Birmingham,Tuscaloosa,and Montgomery.
The 2007 Dallas mayoral election took place on May 12,2007,to elect the successor to incumbent Mayor Laura Miller. Miller decided not to run for a second full term. The race is officially nonpartisan. After no candidate received a majority of the votes,the top two candidates - Tom Leppert and Ed Oakley - faced each other in a runoff election on June 16,2007,in which Leppert prevailed.
Walter Thomas Maddox is an American politician who has served as the 36th mayor of Tuscaloosa,Alabama,since 2005. From 2001 to 2005,he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and as executive director of personnel for Tuscaloosa City Schools. Maddox was a field director for the Alabama Education Association from 1996 to 2001.
The 2013–2014 San Diego mayoral special election was a special election to elect the mayor of San Diego. The election was made necessary by the resignation of Bob Filner on August 30,2013. The winner stood to serve out the balance of Filner's term,which ended in 2016.
Amie Beth Dickinson Shaver is an American conservative political activist and beauty pageant titleholder from Shelby County,Alabama,who was named Miss Alabama 1994. She succeeded to the title after Heather Whitestone,the original titleholder,was named Miss America 1995.
The 2017 United States elections were held,in large part,on Tuesday,November 7,2017. This off-year election featured gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey,as well as state legislative elections in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the Virginia House of Delegates. Numerous citizen initiatives,mayoral races,and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Special elections were also held for one seat of the U.S. Senate,representing Alabama,and six seats of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats picked up the governorship in New Jersey and the Alabama Senate seat that was up for a special election. The governorship in Virginia and the six House seats that were up for special elections did not change party hands.
On May 9,2015,the city of San Antonio,Texas,held an election to choose the next Mayor of San Antonio. Interim mayor Ivy Taylor ran for election to a full term and narrowly defeated former state senator Leticia Van de Putte in the runoff election on June 13,2015,to become the first African American elected to the position. The election was officially nonpartisan.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Huntsville,Alabama,USA.
Long Beach,California,held an election for mayor on April 9,2002 and June 4,2002. It saw the reelection of Beverly O'Neill to an unprecedented third term. O'Neill had to run as a write-in,as she was otherwise term limited. In the runoff she faced city councilman Dan Baker and write-in Norm Ryan.
Mayoral elections in Huntsville are held every four years to elect the mayor of Huntsville,Alabama.