By Annie Johnson, CQ Staff

The focus of congressional politics-watchers in Alabama this year has been on the races for the two House seats left open by retiring incumbents, Democrat Robert E. “Bud” Cramer in the northern 5th District and Republican Terry Everett in the southern 2nd District. That is in part because these districts featured two of the nation’s most competitive House races this year — and in part because the Democrats never gained traction in their efforts to build a serious challenge to Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions in his bid for a third term.

In fact, Sessions’ hold on his seat appears so secure that CQ Politics now rates the Senate contest, a change from the previous rating of Republican Favored.

Vivian Davis Figures, the Democratic nominee, is a state senator with a compelling personal story: She succeeded her husband in the state Senate 12 years ago after he died suddenly at age 39, leaving her a widow with three children. She also is seeking to become the first African-American popularly elected to the Senate not only in Alabama but throughout the South.

But Figures has made little headway against Sessions, whose position as a conservative Republican works to his favor in a state that generally leans both conservative and Republican. Sessions also had an overwhelming financial advantage at midyear, the most recent numbers available for this campaign, with $4.3 million in both receipts and cash on hand to Figures’ $247,000 in receipts and just $22,000 in cash on hand.

Sessions led Figures 59 percent to 30 percent, with 4 percent choosing “other” and 8 percent undecided, in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 22. A SurveyUSA poll conducted Sept. 16-17 had Sessions ahead by 66 percent to 31 percent.

With Sessions appearing to be on cruise control in his race, state Republicans have been able to marshall their resources for the much-tougher contests for those open House seats. The unexpected takeover opportunity presented by nine-term incumbent Cramer’s March announcement that he would not seek re-election in the 5th District — where President Bush pulled 60 percent of the vote at the top of the Republican ticket in 2004 — is offset by the unexpected trouble they are facing from a strong Democratic challenge in the 2nd District, which gave Bush 66 percent four years ago.

The question of whether the stunning choice of Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin for vice president will be a net plus or minus in presidential nominee John McCain ’s contest with Democrat Barack Obama will be better answered after Palin’s debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden Jr. this Thursday. But Alabama Republicans contend the excitement that Palin generated among conservative Republicans has created a previously lacking energy among rank-and-file GOP voters that will benefit the party’s efforts up and down the ticket.

“Our phones have not stopped ringing since Thursday morning in Minneapolis,” said Philip Bryan, director of communications for Alabama’s Republican Party, referring to the location where the state’s delegation was staying on the day after Palin delivering her well-received acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in nearby St. Paul. “And all people want to know is ‘How can I volunteer and how can I get some campaign materials.’ ”

He added, “Asking for bumper stickers is one thing, but the fact that these folks want to get out and do their part to help shows me that Republicans are fully involved in assuring an overwhelming victory in Alabama.”

Yet the Republicans struggled a bit to gain momentum in the 5th District race, as the better-known political figures they sought to recruit as candidates opted out. While Democrats quickly rallied around state Sen. Parker Griffith of Huntsville — who claims a center-right political profile similarly to the one that made outgoing incumbent Cramer popular — Republicans had to wait until a mid-July primary runoff to deliver their nomination to insurance executive Wayne Parker, who had been out of House politics since losing competitive challenges to Cramer in 1994 and 1996.

The GOP, however, rolled out some heavy artillery as the general election campaign began in earnest this month, with ads and a barrage of press releases that have turned the contest highly negative and personal.

The Republicans’ attacks have focused on accusations made about Griffith’s handling of patients’ cases when he was a practicing oncologist — in 1986. A report conducted that year by a physician cited instances in which patient records kept by Griffith and other colleagues were “poorly managed and poorly maintained.” The study reviewed 15 of Griffith’s charts and 80 of one of Griffith’s colleagues.

Bryan, the state Republican spokesman, said in a press release, “This independent study of Griffith’s treatment of patients is disturbing and sickening.” This tack was echoed by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the party’s national House campaign unit, which highlighted an allegation that Griffith had deferred stronger radiation treatments for some patients so they would require more extensive and expensive treatments later on. The NRCC release also said Griffith should be disqualified from office if the allegations — made more than 20 years ago — proved to be true.