Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
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In Alabama, a Republican Win and a Preview of 2010
Republicans bounced back in Alabama with a big win last night for state Senate, as the Huntsville Times notes:
First-time candidate Paul Sanford beat veteran state Rep. Laura Hall by 15 percentage points to fill the seat vacated by Parker Griffith, who was elected to Congress last
With 56 of 57 boxes reporting, Sanford got 57 percent (11,984 votes) to Hall's 42 percent (8,872 votes), a spread surprising even to the winner. A little more than twice the voters came out for the general election as did for the primary March 3.
For the G.O.P., this win softens the blow from a Democratic victory in another Alabama Senate seat last week. While it's worth noting that Hall was an African-American running in a district where most voters are white, that isn't necessarily why she lost.
The Times offers context in the article linked above:
Hall and several other state lawmakers were criticized for working for the two-year college system while at the same time accepting legislative pay. Hall is a retired teacher who, until last March, worked at Calhoun Community College.When Republicans push to win control of the Alabama legislature in 2010, they'll try to cast themselves as the more ethical party. In one district and on one night, the message worked.
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