Robert Renfroe Riley (born October 3, 1944) is an American retired politician and businessman who served as the 52nd governor of Alabama from 2003 to 2011.

Riley was born in Ashland, Alabama, a small town in Clay County where his family ranched and farmed for six generations.

Riley attended the University of Alabama, where he was a brother of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and graduated with a degree in business administration.

Riley did not run for re-election to the House in November 2002 (as a supporter of term limits, he imposed a three-term limit on himself), instead running for governor of Alabama and defeating the Democratic incumbent Don Siegelman by approximately 3,000 votes - the narrowest margin in the state's history for a gubernatorial race.

This plan also included provisions for a scholarship program for Alabama students to attend college and funding of other education initiatives.

Other progressively-minded non-profit groups supported this plan, including many organizations that had sought changes in the Alabama tax system for many years.

A number of those who opposed this plan, including both organizations mentioned, had strongly supported Riley for governor in 2002.

[10] The overwhelming rejection of this plan forced Riley to mend fences within his own base and seek to do some reforms without the broad tax increases that Amendment One sought.

[17] In 2005, Governor Riley was criticized by some Mobile County residents after issuing that area of the state a "mandatory" evacuation order in advance of Hurricane Dennis' landfall.

[18] On November 9, 2005, Riley called for a citizens' boycott of Aruba, alleging that the local government was engaged in a cover-up of the disappearance of Alabama native Natalee Holloway.

[19][20] In November 2005, Riley was linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal when his former Congressional press secretary, Michael Scanlon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the matter.

It further emerged that, as a Congressman, Riley signed a letter on behalf of the U.S. Family Network, opposing expansion of casino gambling in Alabama.

[21] The U.S. Family Network was revealed to be an Abramoff front, funded by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which operated competing casinos.

Riley defeated Democratic Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley easily as his approval ratings made a comeback.

[25][26] Critics have claimed that recent developments are a consequence of national economic recovery and pointed to the loss of thousands of Alabama's historic textile jobs under Riley.

[32][33] An editorial by The Washington Times and separate piece in the paper on August 13, 2009, in what was deemed to be an open endorsement of Bob Riley as a potential 2012 presidential candidate instantly threw the governor's name into the political field of possible nominees as state and national media jumped on the story.

On February 2, 2011, both the Birmingham News and the Decatur Daily also ran stories speculating that Riley was considering running for president.

On June 26, 2011, Riley was on a cross-country trip on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he crashed on the Dalton Highway in Alaska and sustained serious injuries.