On May 23, Alabama Republican Congressman Jo Bonner said he will resign from Congress on August 15, 2013.  Therefore, the state will hold a special election in the First District soon afterwards.

Bonner was re-elected with no ballot-listed opponent in 2012.  In 2010, his only opponent on the November ballot was Constitution Party nominee David Walter.  Walter polled 16.96% in that two-candidate race.  The Constitution Party is well-organized in the First District and it is plausible the party will now launch a petition drive to get on the ballot for the upcoming special election.  Any unqualified party is free to work on such a petition at any time, without having to wait until it has chosen a candidate.  The petition is a party petition, not a petition that names the nominee.  The nominee is chosen later after the petition succeeds.