H. Guy Hunt

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H. Guy Hunt
Born	June 17, 1933 Holly Pond, Alabama

Harold Guy Hunt (born June 17, 1933 in Holly Pond, Alabama) is an American politician who served two terms as the Governor of Alabama from 1987 to 1993. He was the first Republican to serve as governor of the state since Reconstruction.

Hunt was salutatorian of his high school class, but turned down a college education. Instead, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Korean War. He returned to Alabama upon his discharge in 1956, where he operated an egg farm. He has been an ordained Primitive Baptist minister since 1958, and also worked as a salesman for Amway. He married Helen Chambers in 1951, they had four children.

Hunt was active in the Republican Party from the days when the Democrats held near-dictatorial control of the state. He first ran for office in 1962, an unsuccessful run for the Alabama Senate. In 1964, he was elected probate judge of Cullman County. Lyndon Johnson's strong support for civil rights caused many Democrats to vote for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater that year, and Hunt was one of several Republicans swept into office on Goldwater's coattails. He was the youngest probate judge in Alabama. He was reelected in 1970, stepping down in 1976 to honor a promise to serve only two terms. He was state chairman of Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980 and chaired the state's Republican delegation at the 1976 and 1980 Republican National Conventions. He ran for governor in 1978, losing in a massive landslide to Democrat Fob James.

After Reagan won election in 1980, he appointed Hunt as State Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee. He resigned in 1985 to run for governor. His campaign was not taken seriously at first even among Republicans, who were more concerned about helping Senator Jeremiah Denton win reelection. The press paid little attention to the Republican gubernatorial primaries, fully expecting that the nominee would be the next loser in the general election.

However, a fracas in the Democratic primary changed the picture. That race saw then Alabama attorney general Charles Graddick in a runoff with then lieutenant governor Bill Baxley. Graddick won by a few thousand votes. However, Baxley sued, claiming that Graddick violated primary regulations by encouraging Republicans to “cross over” and vote as Democrats. The dispute made it all the way to the state Supreme Court, who told the Democrats to either declare Baxley the winner by default or hold another primary. The party picked Baxley. Alabamians, used to a one-party state where anybody and everybody could vote in a primary, were outraged and took out their frustrations by voting for Hunt. In November, Hunt won the election by 13 points and 56 percent of the vote, receiving the most votes ever for a gubernatorial candidate at that time. Hunt's election surprised many Alabamians since no living person had ever seen a Republican win the governorship. He narrowly won reelection in 1990 after trailing most of the way. Hunt is widely credited for turning Alabama into a two-party state.

Hunt pushed through major tort reform and tried to bring more industry and tourism to the state, but had to wrangle through massive opposition in the state legislature.

In 1992, a grand jury indicted him for using $200,000 of his 1987 inaugural fund to pay personal debts, as well as buy cattle and equipment for his farm. He was convicted on April 22, 1993 and was automatically removed from office pursuant to the state constitution, which disqualifies felons from holding office. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. assumed the office of governor the same day.

Hunt was sentenced to five years' probation in 1994 and ordered to pay back the stolen money plus a $12,000 fine. He tried to get an early release in 1998, but was turned down since he'd only paid his restitution at $100 a month.

Hunt was issued a pardon a few months later by the Alabama Board of Pardon and Parole on the grounds that he was innocent of the charges that the then Attorney General Jimmy Evans had brought against him. Two of the three members of the Board were appointed by Hunt. His remaining restitution was paid by his attorney, Republican supporters, and some undisclosed loans. The Board granted Hunt a rare full pardon, restoring his voting rights and enabling him to enter the 1998 gubernatorial race. His comeback failed, however, as he earned only 8.2% of the vote in the Republican primary. Hunt did, however, win his native Cullman County in the 1998 primaries.

In May 2006, a rest stop in Cullman along Interstate 65 was named after Hunt. A ceremony dedicating the site was held with Hunt, his family, and friends in attendance. Also in attendance were Alabama Attorney General Troy King, State Tourism Director Lee Sentell, former Republican Party Chairman Elbert Peters, several former members of Hunt's cabinet, and former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore.

In July 2006, Alabama Governor Bob Riley was asked to appoint Hunt as an official counselor.

As of June 2006, Hunt is suffering from stage IV lung cancer and is undergoing treatment in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[edit] Accusations of racism

Hunt was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan in his 1990 reelection bid. He has also either spoken at or attended Council of Conservative Citizens meetings.[1]