Breaking: Tim James Withdraws Election Challenge

Tim James' announcement this afternoon at 4:00 PM, an entire weekend later than it should have come, is nonetheless the correct decision. James announced today that he was abandoning his challenge to the primary election results.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/06/tim_james_drops_out_of_alabama.html

Greenville businessman Tim James dropped out of the Republican race for governor this afternoon but said he has no regrets about his campaign or the recount of the June 1 primary results.

James said he would drop the election contest he had filed with the Alabama Republican Party, which had set a hearing for Thursday. He said he had no choice but to seek a recount given the razor-thin margin of the race, but conceded Monday that the recount conducted last week did not change the outcome.

I had predicted that James would continue with the challenge even though the recount did not change his order of finish. I predicted he would do so based upon some missing ballots, some unsealed ballots, and some machines with incorrect dates.

I was wrong.


James did not rule out another run for office in the future. I find nothing wrong with that, but I will admit myself hesitant to support him in any future race. I want any politician I back to win OR LOSE gracefully. James lost and refused to acept it, which tends to illustrate that he views his own wishes as more important than anything else. I commend him for abandoning the challenge, and this action has somewhat mitigated the bad impression I have of him as a result of his demand for a recount.

Only somewhat, however.

If he runs in the future, I will look at him again... but not with the same eyes that saw him a few months ago.

Now, can we focus on the runoff?