Press Releases
Democrats Win Big in Senate District 22 Special Election
Loss Thwarts ALGOP's First "Campaign 2010" Attempt to Take Over Legislature
Marc Keahey, a Democratic State Representative and Grove Hill attorney, solidly defeated former Republican State Representative Greg Albritton Tuesday by double digits to win state Senate District 22. The seat had been held for many years by the late Democrat Pat Lindsey, who passed away in January of this year creating the need for a special election.
Unofficial results show Keahey winning by more than 2,300 votes, or a margin of 15.9%. Keahey won four of the eight counties by a landslide, while coming just short in the other four by only a small number of votes. The Alabama Democratic Party contends that grassroots efforts helped them win Mobile County, while coming only 143 votes shy of winning in the oft considered Republican stronghold of Baldwin County. Keahey's largest vote margins came from the counties that encompass his house district; Choctaw, Clarke and Washington.
"The Alabama Democratic Party congratulates and welcomes our newest State Senator, Marc Keahey. He ran a great campaign and won bi-partisan support across eight counties in his effort to serve all the people of District 22. He is a servant-leader who inspires people and is the future of our party," said Democratic State Chairman, Joe Turnham.
As part of their "Campaign 2010" effort to take over the Alabama Legislature, the Alabama Republican Party targeted this race and campaign finance reports reveal that they spent heavily in an effort to win. In addition, Republican leaning interest groups invested tens of thousands of dollars to defeat Keahey but to no avail. The loss has already sent shockwaves through the state's Republican establishment. Alabama blogs and discussion groups are abuzz with rants about the ALGOP's efforts, leadership, and campaign tactics.
"This race shows that all politics is local and is dependent on parties running the best candidates who reflect the values, interests, dreams and hopes of the people they serve. The same old political and personal attacks launched by the ALGOP on good people such as Keahey fail to win elections. To the contrary, our party works hard to recruit the most quality of candidates and to engage Alabama's diversity of voters with issues that truly affect their everyday lives. Alabama Democrats will continue our efforts throughout the state to deliver winning messages and candidates for 2010," Turnham concluded.
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