Davis, Griffith struggling in Alabama races

Democratic Rep. Artur Davis, seeking to become Alabama’s first black governor, and Republican Rep. Parker Griffith, trying to hold his seat after switching parties late last year, both faced steep uphill climbs as the results were being tallied in the state’s primary contests last night.

The primaries in Alabama, Mississippi and New Mexico served as a prelude to a slew of high-profile primary and special elections scheduled for next Tuesday in California, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia, Arkansas and elsewhere.

As expected, four-term Republican incumbent Sen. Richard C. Shelby easily held off a challenge from “tea party” activist Clint Moser, but most of the results from Tuesday’s three primaries were still coming in late into the evening.

Mr. Davis, a four-term House member, riled some traditional black civil rights groups, including the Alabama New South Coalition and the Alabama Democratic Conference, by not  soliciting their support in his campaign in one of the nation’s most conservative states. These groups are backing his primary opponent, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, who is white.

But Mr. Davis, a Harvard-educated lawyer, did secure endorsements from some of the state’s leading black Democrats, including Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a civil rights pioneer born in Alabama, and Sam Jones, the first black mayor of Mobile.

Mr. Davis was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign but voted against the president’s health care plan, a move criticized by Mr. Sparks. But Mr. Davis’ position on the controversial law could help him appeal to centrists in a state that has picked Republican governors in five of the last six races.

It was Mr. Sparks, however, who grabbed the early lead in the voting with nearly 64 percent of the Democratic vote with about 40 percent of the returns counted.

The Democratic winner will go on to face the victor in a crowded Republican primary for governor. Among those running are Tim James, son of former Alabama Gov. Fob James who has aired blunt, widely discussed ads against illegal immigrants, and former community college chancellor Bradley Byrne.

Alabama’s Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Parker Griffith was similarly trailing against Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks in his first primary as a Republican, down by nearly 20 percentage points with more than 60 percent of the votes counted. Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched from Republican to Democrat, also lost his post-switch primary last month in Pennsylvania to Rep. Joe Sestak.

Mr. Brooks, who has the backing of many local GOP leaders, has cast himself as the race’s true conservative in the race, painting the incumbent as a closet Democrat who has supported liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for most of his tenure in Congress.

Mr. Griffith, meanwhile, has accused his challenger of being a “career politician” with a history of supporting tax hikes and pork-barrel projects.

In New Mexico, the top race is in the Republican primary for governor where the winner will face Democrat Diane Denish in the fall. Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, is term-limited.

Five Republicans were vying to take on Ms. Denish, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2003. She is running unopposed on the Democratic ballot.

Republicans are hoping to capture the governorship after eight years, though most election handicappers predict a Denish victory in November.

All three of New Mexico’s congressional districts are held by freshmen Democrats who went uncontested in their primaries, but could face challenging races this fall.

-This article is based in part on wire service reports.