Will Alabama be competitive come November 2006? At least on the gubernatorial slot on the ballot, the answer is yes. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) passes on the story out of Birmingham.

The Birmingham News reports, “Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, after hinting at it for months, filed paperwork Thursday officially declaring her candidacy for governor in 2006. If elected, Baxley, a Democrat, would become Alabama’s first female governor since Lurleen Wallace.” Baxley, twice elected state treasurer before winning her current post in 2002, “walks into the 2006 arena with a likable personality, formidable name ID and no real negatives,” the paper said. Former Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman is exploring a 2006 bid; incumbent GOP Gov. Bob Riley and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, “are both considering candidacies in 2006.” [original story here]

Alabama has no business being competitive for the Dems. George W. Bush carried the heart of Dixie by more than 25 points in 2004. Nevertheless, as Michael Dukakis noted to me in March, "in the state of Alabama alone, Kerry had in excess of 10,000 contributors. That’s in Alabama." So clearly, there is a base of Democratic activists to support the candidacy of Baxley. What's more, Governor Bob Riley has truly anemic numbers these days -- only 36% of Alabamans approve of his governorship, according to the latest SurveyUSA poll. So for all of the pundits who believe the Democrats should just write off the South, take a gander Alabama way. You might be surprised.