The Alabama Constitution says Governors must have lived in the state for seven years before running for that office. On October 9, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that courts cannot enforce that provision before an election. Instead, the decision says, the only possible challenge before an election is to have the candidate’s party adjudicate the matter. State ex rel Dorgan v Tuberville, SC-2026-0540. The decision is unanimous, although two justices recused themselves. In Alabama, State Supreme Court justices are elected in partisan elections. All nine justices are Republicans.
The case had been brought by individuals who argued that Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville doesn’t actually live in Alabama. He is a U.S. Senator from Alabama who owns homes in Washington, D.C., and Florida.
Here is the Opinion. It leaves the door open for a challenge after the election.
What difference does it make? He’s going to win the election and live in Montgomery, Alabama at the Governor’s mansion.
I am opposed to residency requirements for candidates. The United Kingdom does it right. People don’t need to live in their district to run for House of Commons.
That kind of defeats the point of districts, doesn’t it?
There shouldn’t be any districts. Nation states should have about 100k people each, certainly no more than a million. Only about one in a thousand people should be allowed to vote. Then no districts would be needed for anything.
As technology akin to replicators and holodecks on Star Trek becomes available and widespread , probably some time this century, there will be very little reason for any person or goods to ever cross those borders ever again, so that would really end most of the world’s problems all by itself.
What about inbreeding?
Q,
If you’re asking me, that’s an interesting question I hadn’t yet considered, as far as I can remember.
I think populations of 10k-1m are probably large enough to avoid inbreeding related problems. But I could be wrong. That might be one exception to cross borders. Courtship can occur through immersive communication, so only the actual marriage would involve any travel. Since sex and everything else can be realistically simulated through full immersive communication, it might only be genetic material carrying DNA that would have to be transported.
I did say rarely, not never. There could be some other very limited exceptions. But in general, immersive communication and the ability to assemble anything to specs at the atomic or subatomic level would eliminate the vast majority of incentives to ever cross borders.
It’s a false stereotype that inbreeding is any more prevalent in the South than up north.
HG, Looking at Tuberville, I’m not sure that the stereotype is false. When he opens his mouth and dumb things come out, I’m thinking it could well be true. What do you think?
He seems like one of the smartest Senators to me.
What about Hitler Mussolini beating Lenin Vladimir for small town mayor in Peru?