There are quite a few people who want Spencer Bachus’s job.

The 10-term congressman from Alabama’s Sixth District is facing viable opposition in the Republican primary for the first time in more than a decade, as well as a Democratic opponent in the general election.

Five challengers have filed to run against Bachus in the primary on March 13, including State Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale and Blount County Commission President and Probate Judge David Standridge of Hayden.

The winner of that primary will be heavily favored to win the general election in November, against the winner of the Democratic primary between Penny Huggins Bailey, a retired Air Force colonel from Leeds, and Birmingham lawyer William G. Barnes. The Sixth District is rated as R+29 by the Cook Political Report Partisan Voting Index, meaning Republicans typically have a 29 percent voting advantage over Democrats; it is tied with the Texas 13th District for most heavily tilting Republican.

Beason’s candidacy had been rumored for several weeks; he was the subject of speculation after local residents began receiving automated telephone calls some weeks ago, asking who they would support in a Congressional race. About that same time, a “Draft Scott Beason for Congress” page appeared on Facebook.

Beason announced his candidacy during a press conference at Alabama GOP Headquarters in Homewood on Thursday morning, which was marked by a tear-filled response by Beason’s wife, Lori, concerning her thoughts about her husband entering the race.

“My personal opinion at the beginning was absolutely not because of the sake of our kids and because of what is required,” Lori Beason said.

Standridge is a somewhat unexpected entry into the fray. He sent a press release announcing his candidacy about the same time as Beason’s press conference, and made his official announcement Friday at the Blount County Courthouse in Oneonta.

Standridge is running as a conservative and touts his fiscal policy, such as how the county wiped out its long-term debt during his tenure in office. Blount County just became part of the Sixth District last year during redistricting.

Add to that mix Tuscaloosa developer Stan Pate, known to most Alabama residents as the man who paid to have a banner flown over the Crimson Tide’s BCS Championship game in Pasadena, Calif. two years ago. The banner supported a move to impeach then-Gov. Bob Riley.

Pate was convicted of criminal menacing during an incident at a Tuscaloosa restaurant that was moving out of a building he owned. Pate was accused of brandishing a shotgun in an attempt to keep the restaurant from removing equipment that Pate said he owned. Pate was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 150 on probation, plus a small fine. He is appealing the sentence.

Two other candidates round out the GOP ballot. Al Mickle, a pharmacy technician from Alabaster, ran as a write-in candidate against Bachus in 2010. Jeremy Barkley is an attorney from Birmingham; when contacted Monday, he said he was exploring whether or not to actively pursue a campaign, given the other names that entered the race.

Bachus has come under fire in recent months over allegations that he used inside information gained through his committee position to trade stocks and stock options. Those allegations came among many in the book, “Throw Them All Out” by author Peter Schweitzer. That story was further publicized by conservative Internet impressario Andrew Breitbart, as well as in a story on the CBS program “60 Minutes.” Bachus has vehemently and repeatedly denied that he used inside information for trading, and has since stopped trading altogether.

Beason, seen as a rising star in Alabama Republican circles for the past few years, has his own political baggage as well. He was a primary sponsor of the state’s new immigration law, widely reported as one of the toughest in the nation, with opponents of the law attempting to brand him as a racist. Beason himself added fuel to that fire when he wore a concealed recording device as part of the investigation of corruption in the state legislature’s debate over legalized electronic bingo.

During a transcript of the recordings entered into evidence during the trial last year, Beason was quoted referring to the largely-black customer base of the Greenetrack greyhound track and bingo facility as “aborigines.”

He later apologized for that remark in a press conference in Gardendale. (Beason may be required to testify again in the retrial of the case. No schedule has yet been set.)

Dr. Stan Cooke, pastor of Kimberly Church of God, ran against Bachus in the 2010 primary but was beaten.

For the last four elections, Bachus has run unopposed in the general election, and Democrats have not fielded a candidate since 1998. His last on-ballot opponent was J. Holden McAllister of the Libertarian Party in 2002.