Alabama Governor Bob Riley

Governor Bob Riley was sworn into office for a second term as Alabama’s chief executive in January 2007, following a successful first term marked by great progress for the state. During those first four years, Governor Riley made good on promises to improve education, put Alabama’s economy on the right track and restore honesty to the Governor’s Office. The people overwhelmingly endorsed the Governor’s actions and his vision for a second term. They re-elected him with 58% of the vote, making him only the third sitting Alabama governor to win re-election in modern times.

Bob Riley was born and raised in the small Clay County town of Ashland, where his family has lived on ranches and farms for six generations. After graduating from the University of Alabama at age 20 with a degree in business administration, he returned to his hometown, married his high school sweetheart, Patsy Adams, and began a 30-year career in the private sector in which he ran several successful businesses and a cattle farm. On their ranch in Ashland, Bob and Patsy Riley raised a family of four children: Rob, Jenice, Minda and Krisalyn.

Shortly after the birth of his first grandchild, Bob Riley believed he could make a difference through public service. So in 1996, at the age of 52, he ran for Congress. A then-political unknown, he beat tough odds and well-known opponents and was successfully elected to represent Alabama’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, Congressman Riley worked to pass the first balanced budget in a generation, the first tax cuts in 20 years, and a stronger national defense from his seat on the House Armed Services Committee. He also fulfilled a promise to serve only three terms.

As his congressional service was nearing an end, his home state found itself in dire straits. Alabama was bleeding jobs, its education budget was once again on the verge of proration, and the Governor’s Office was mired in scandal.

Congressman Riley was urged to run for governor to turn the state around. After announcing his candidacy for governor in July 2001, he went on to defeat two opponents in the Republican primary with 73 percent of the vote. In November 2002, he also defeated the incumbent governor in the general election. As soon as the last vote was counted and he was declared the winner, Bob Riley rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Governor Riley fulfilled a promise to assemble a Cabinet of world-class leaders pledged to help him reform state government. He also took action to make his administration the most open and accountable in state history. He banned pass-through pork in his Cabinet agencies, saving taxpayers $40 million. He opened his office’s records with a transparency never before seen in Alabama. And he implemented an accountable budget process called SMART Governing that allows taxpayers to see how their money is being spent by every agency of state government.

During his first term, Governor Riley also successfully changed Alabama’s economic development model. Governor Riley inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression at the beginning of his first term. But during the next four years, Alabama achieved record low unemployment rates, experienced the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs, and attained a record budget surplus. In fact, Alabama’s strong economy has gained national recognition. Alabama’s economic development was ranked number one of all 50 states and declared the best of the southern states for four consecutive years.

Perhaps most encouraging to Alabamians are the improvements made in education during Governor Riley’s first term. A strong and growing economy allowed him to propose record funding for Alabama schools. During his first term, education funding increased by more than $2 billion. Historic investments the Governor made in nationally-renowned programs like the Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative are getting results in higher test scores. At the same time it has invested record funding into its classrooms, the state also has the highest amount ever saved in its rainy day fund and proration prevention account.

Now Governor Riley is pursuing an ambitious agenda called “Plan 2010.” The Governor is proposing even more funding for schools, including a record-setting bond issue to help school systems with construction projects and repairs. He is proposing historic pro-growth tax incentives that will help middle class families, make health care more affordable and create new jobs. These pro-growth policies will stimulate the economy and result in even more funding for education. And Governor Riley continues proposing sweeping ethics reforms that will make state government even more accountable.