Alabama’s 1994 judicial races

Alabama’s 1994 judicial races.

In 1994, Rove consulted for Republican Perry O. Hooper in his race for Alabama chief justice. Hooper lost by 304 votes, but Rove immediately sought a statewide recount. According to a former Rove staffer, a key part of the recount strategy formulated by Rove was to “‘undermine the other side’s support by casting them as liars, cheaters, stealers, immoral — all of that.’” (Emphasis added.) According to the Atlantic, “[t]hree days after the election Hooper held a press conference to drive home the idea that the election was being stolen. He declared, ‘We have endured lies in this campaign, but I’ll be damned if I will accept outright thievery.’” The Hooper campaign alleged “voter fraud” and challenged the counting of absentee ballots that hadn’t been notarized or witnessed as required by Alabama law. The case wound up in court and “dragged on for nearly a year and eventually was settled by the United States Supreme Court — in favor of Rove’s client (sound familiar?).”