Attorney General Don Siegelman hoped for a strong turnout today to carry him past teacher-lobbyist Paul Hubbert in a Democratic runoff for the right to challenge Republican Gov. Guy Hunt. Hubbert led a six-candidate field in the June 5 primary with 32 percent of the vote against 25 percent for Siegelman, and remained the front-runner in weekend polls. The three-week runoff has been bruising. Siegelman tried to close the gap with negative ads, and the candidates accused each other of racist tactics. Whoever wins the Democrati nomination, once tantamount to winning the governor's office in Alabama, will face an uphill battle against Hunt. The preacher-farmer in 1986 became Alabama's first GOP governor in 112 years thanks to a split in Democratic ranks. He is favored in the polls over either Hubbert or Siegelman. An estimated 31 percent of Alabama's 2.4 million registered voters cast ballots in the primary, and analysts forecast lighter turnout today. Siegelman said if voters whose candidates lost in the primary returned to the polls today, it could spell victory for him. Hubbert, 54, has been executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association for 21 years. He built the teacher organization into one of the most influential forces at the Statehouse. Siegelman, 44, a former executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party, was state manager of George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign. He won two terms as secretary of state and then the attorney general's office in 1986. Siegelman has depicted his opponent as a man opening classroom doors to child molesters, while Hubbert has exploited Siegelman's admission he smoked marijuana in college. Siegelman accused Hubbert of using ``racist code words'' in calling for a workfare program to replace welfare, while Hubbert's camp said a Siegelman ad warning about a black leader's influence amounted to ``racist tactics.'' The black leader is Joe Reed, the No. 2 man behind Hubbert at the teachers union.
