Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

Alabama's Supreme Court chief justice race is boiling, with incumbent Drayton Nabers Jr. accusing challenger Sue Bell Cobb of taking gambling money, and Cobb claiming Nabers was forced to pull a false ad. The nation's most expensive state Supreme Court race is getting more expensive. Both sides in the tight race plan more TV ads for the final two weeks before the Nov. 7 election. So far, Cobb and Nabers have spent almost $2 million on TV ads, according to the Brennan Center in New York, which tracks ad spending in court races nationwide. The candidates promise clean campaigns but accuse each other of violating the pledges. "The negative ads are going to continue," said Larry Powell, professor of communications at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a former political consultant. "The only question is: Are they going to continue right up to Election Day?" Tuesday, Cobb renewed her call for Nabers to sign a State Bar of Alabama committee agreement on ethical campaigning. She also said she was disgusted by Nabers' television ads. "The people of Alabama are sick of this and we are, too," said her campaign manager, Sabrina Lofton. "We will continue our message of qualifications and experience, because that's what this race should be all about."

Nabers' campaign responded by accusing Cobb of violating judicial ethics in her own TV ads by lying about her opponent. Nabers issued his own pledge to run an ethical campaign but reserved the right to respond to attacks.

"It is the height of hypocrisy to talk about campaign pledges when they are knowingly running ads that are untruthful," said Nabers' campaign manager, Clay Ryan. "We consistently offer hard evidence in our campaign ads. I have yet to see that from Judge Cobb's campaign."