Ron Sparks (politician)
Encyclopedia
Ronald D. Sparks is the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
for the state of Alabama
. Sparks is a member of the Democratic party, and was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Alabama in the state's 2010 gubernatorial election
.
At the age of 24, he became one of the youngest County Commissioners ever elected in the State of Alabama, defeating a two-term incumbent. Af first, Sparks could not find anyone to donate to his campaign; he sold his furniture and gun for initial funding.
After an interlude in the private sector, in 1993 Sparks was appointed Director of the newly-created DeKalb County
911 System. As director he was responsible for overseeing the construction of the headquarters office, procuring equipment, hiring and training staff, and field verifying street addresses for over 30,000 homes and businesses. Sparks was elected the President of the Alabama chapter of the National Emergency Number Association
in 1998.
During his first term as Commissioner, Sparks pushed for country-of-origin labeling for food and agricultural products, citing health problems and under-cost dumping associated with imports from certain countries. He also initiated the establishment of state laboratories for expanded testing of food and agricultural products. Sparks also led efforts to open the Cuban market to Alabama farm products, traveling to the nation and meeting with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
, leading to Cuba’s agreement to begin imports from Alabama.
He was re-elected in 2006. During this campaign, even The Birmingham News
, which had criticized Sparks four years earlier, spoke favorably of Sparks's handling of a mad cow disease scare that could have threatened the state's cattle industry. Sparks built on his 2002 margin, defeating his Republican opponent by a margin of 59%-41%, making Sparks the leading statewide candidate on the Democratic ticket.
During his second term, Sparks has continued the expansion of the state lab system. When a salmonella
outbreak linked to tomatoes occurred in the spring of 2008, Sparks acted to secure verification that tomatoes grown in Alabama were not suspected of contamination with the disease, and to facilitate marketing of those tomatoes as "safe."
Sparks is the 2007-08 President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He took over as President of the association at its annual meeting in September 2008.
seat currently held by Jeff Sessions
, but he declined to run to avoid a primary contest with state Senator Vivian Davis Figures
. Sparks backed the 2008 presidential effort of Hillary Clinton. Sparks, who is ineligible for a third term as Commissioner, was mentioned as a candidate for governor or lieutenant governor in 2010. He launched a website, sparks2010.com, in late 2008. The site promoted a Sparks candidacy in 2010, without initially specifying which office he might seek.
. In what was regarded as an upset, Sparks handily defeated Congressman Artur Davis
in the Democratic primary on June 1, 2010. Tensions over Davis' opposition to President Obama's healthcare reform legislation, along with Davis' decision to not seek the support of traditional Democratic Party groups, led black organizations and voters to turn to Sparks.
Early in the 2010 campaign, Sparks voiced support for healthcare reform
and the public option, opposed charter school
s, supported the Stimulus, and advocated an educational lottery and gaming tax for pre-kindergarten and college scholarships.
Following Parker Griffith
's switch to the Republican party, Sparks' political consultants encouraged him to run for Griffith's seat in the United States House of Representatives
, however he declined and chose to remain in the running for Governor.
In the 2010 general election against the Republican nominee, Dr. Robert Bentley, Sparks has embraced what has been characterized as a pro-gambling stance, in reaction to current Governor Bob Riley's controversial efforts to shut down electronic bingo in various counties throughout the State.
. In a December 6, 2010 article in the Montgomery Advertiser, Sparks said he would support former State Supreme Court Justice Mark Kennedy, son-in-law of former Governor George C. Wallace, for the post of party chairman.
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is an independent agency of the government of Alabama. The Department is responsible for serving farmers and consumers of agricultural products....
for the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Sparks is a member of the Democratic party, and was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Alabama in the state's 2010 gubernatorial election
Alabama gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Republican Governor Bob Riley was term limited and unable to seek re-election. The party primaries were held on June 1, 2010, with a Republican runoff on July 13. In the general election, Republican Robert J. Bentley defeated...
.
Early life, education and career
Sparks is a graduate of Fort Payne High School, and before beginning his political career worked in Fort Payne's iconic sock mills. He later served in the Coast Guard, and was awarded several commendations in that service. Following his discharge from the service, Sparks graduated from Northeast Alabama Community College in 1978.At the age of 24, he became one of the youngest County Commissioners ever elected in the State of Alabama, defeating a two-term incumbent. Af first, Sparks could not find anyone to donate to his campaign; he sold his furniture and gun for initial funding.
After an interlude in the private sector, in 1993 Sparks was appointed Director of the newly-created DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Alabama
As of the 2010 Census DeKalb County had a population of 71,109. The median age was 37.5. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 81.6% non-Hispanic white, 1.5% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander , 9.9% from some other race, 2.2% reporting two or...
911 System. As director he was responsible for overseeing the construction of the headquarters office, procuring equipment, hiring and training staff, and field verifying street addresses for over 30,000 homes and businesses. Sparks was elected the President of the Alabama chapter of the National Emergency Number Association
National Emergency Number Association
The National Emergency Number Association is an organization whose mission it is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system in the United States. In carrying out its mission, NENA promotes research, planning, training...
in 1998.
Department of Agriculture and Industries
In 1999, Sparks was appointed as Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, where he ran the day-to-day operations of the Department. In 2002, Sparks was elected Commissioner, winning 54 out of 67 counties, and defeating his Republican opponent in the general election by a margin of 53%-47%. In that campaign, Sparks was briefly criticized for appearing in media produced by the Department. However, he responded that the media in question was time-sensitive, and that the then-Commissioner had scaled back his involvement in the Department’s operations following his own defeat in the gubernatorial primary a few months earlier. In this campaign, Sparks became one of the rare Democrats to win the endorsement of the Alabama Farmers Federation.During his first term as Commissioner, Sparks pushed for country-of-origin labeling for food and agricultural products, citing health problems and under-cost dumping associated with imports from certain countries. He also initiated the establishment of state laboratories for expanded testing of food and agricultural products. Sparks also led efforts to open the Cuban market to Alabama farm products, traveling to the nation and meeting with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, leading to Cuba’s agreement to begin imports from Alabama.
He was re-elected in 2006. During this campaign, even The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News is the principal daily newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. The paper is owned by Advance Publications...
, which had criticized Sparks four years earlier, spoke favorably of Sparks's handling of a mad cow disease scare that could have threatened the state's cattle industry. Sparks built on his 2002 margin, defeating his Republican opponent by a margin of 59%-41%, making Sparks the leading statewide candidate on the Democratic ticket.
During his second term, Sparks has continued the expansion of the state lab system. When a salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
outbreak linked to tomatoes occurred in the spring of 2008, Sparks acted to secure verification that tomatoes grown in Alabama were not suspected of contamination with the disease, and to facilitate marketing of those tomatoes as "safe."
Sparks is the 2007-08 President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He took over as President of the association at its annual meeting in September 2008.
Political involvement
It was rumored that Sparks would run for the SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat currently held by Jeff Sessions
Jeff Sessions
Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...
, but he declined to run to avoid a primary contest with state Senator Vivian Davis Figures
Vivian Davis Figures
Vivian Davis Figures is a Democratic member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 33rd District in Mobile County since she was elected on January 28, 1997 to serve the remaining term of her late husband, Senator Michael A. Figures, who was the President Pro Tempore of the Senate...
. Sparks backed the 2008 presidential effort of Hillary Clinton. Sparks, who is ineligible for a third term as Commissioner, was mentioned as a candidate for governor or lieutenant governor in 2010. He launched a website, sparks2010.com, in late 2008. The site promoted a Sparks candidacy in 2010, without initially specifying which office he might seek.
2010 candidacy for governor
On April 3, 2009, Ron Sparks announced that he would run for governor of AlabamaAlabama gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Republican Governor Bob Riley was term limited and unable to seek re-election. The party primaries were held on June 1, 2010, with a Republican runoff on July 13. In the general election, Republican Robert J. Bentley defeated...
. In what was regarded as an upset, Sparks handily defeated Congressman Artur Davis
Artur Davis
Artur Genestre Davis is a former member of the United States House of Representatives for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell, also a member of the Democratic Party....
in the Democratic primary on June 1, 2010. Tensions over Davis' opposition to President Obama's healthcare reform legislation, along with Davis' decision to not seek the support of traditional Democratic Party groups, led black organizations and voters to turn to Sparks.
Early in the 2010 campaign, Sparks voiced support for healthcare reform
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
and the public option, opposed charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
s, supported the Stimulus, and advocated an educational lottery and gaming tax for pre-kindergarten and college scholarships.
Following Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith
Parker Griffith, M.D. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party on December 22, 2009, but lost the Republican primary and his term ended in January 2011.-Early life, education and...
's switch to the Republican party, Sparks' political consultants encouraged him to run for Griffith's seat in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, however he declined and chose to remain in the running for Governor.
In the 2010 general election against the Republican nominee, Dr. Robert Bentley, Sparks has embraced what has been characterized as a pro-gambling stance, in reaction to current Governor Bob Riley's controversial efforts to shut down electronic bingo in various counties throughout the State.
Candidacy for Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party
After his loss in the 2010 General Election, Sparks was rumored as a possible candidate for Chairman of the Alabama Democratic PartyAlabama Democratic Party
The Alabama Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Judge Mark Kennedy. The Executive Director is Bradley Davidson....
. In a December 6, 2010 article in the Montgomery Advertiser, Sparks said he would support former State Supreme Court Justice Mark Kennedy, son-in-law of former Governor George C. Wallace, for the post of party chairman.
External links
- Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks official state site
- Ron Sparks for Governor official campaign site