Political Affiliation
Mobile city elections are non-partisan, and Dow himself made it a point to keep party politics out of city government. Practically speaking, at the end of his term, his coalition consisted white self-identified Republicans who won on middle and upper class support, and black self-identified Democrats. His opposition consisted of self-identified white Republicans who relied on blue collar "white backlash" support. City elections, because of their non-partisan nature, allowed these coalitions to develop.
Dow has contributed to both Democratic and Republican candidates and has backers who are affiliated with both parties. If he runs for a partisan office, the decision of party will likely be based on an electability calculation. It should be said however, that his association with Mobile and his support of legal gambling would make him subject to Evangelical opposition in a Republican primary and his wife is a known Democrat who ran for a seat as a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Dow might have a less difficult time running in a Democratic Party primary than as a Republican.
Read more about this topic: Mike Dow, Post Mayoral Career, Political Future
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or affiliation:
“It is certainly safe, in view of the movement to the right of intellectuals and political thinkers, to pronounce the brain death of socialism.”
—Norman Tebbit (b. 1931)
“Women will not advance except by joining together in cooperative action.... Unlike other groups, women do not need to set affiliation and strength in opposition one against the other. We can readily integrate the two, search for more and better ways to use affiliation to enhance strength—and strength to enhance affiliation.”
—Jean Baker Miller (20th century)