It wasn’t by the margin seen in recent elections, but Republicans won every statewide office Tuesday as well as retaining a supermajority in the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives.
In Franklin County, Tuesday brought improved voter turnout with more than 8,000 of the county’s 19,764 registered voters for a 40.87 percentage.
Alabamians continued to show a trend toward straight party ticket voting, as 645,002 straight ticket Republican ballots were cast and 549,433 straight ticket Democratic ballots, accounting for more than 70% of all voters in the state voting straight party tickets.
Franklin Countians continued to show their commitment to the Republican Party, with 4,164 straight Republican Party ballots cast compared to 1,472 Democratic straight party ballots. And support for Republican candidates came at a significantly higher percentage than what Republicans saw in statewide numbers.
Republican Tommy Tuberville received 70% of Franklin County votes cast in the governor’s race, compared to Tuberville’s statewide percentage of 51.79%.
In the election to fill Tuberville’s United States Senate seat, Republican Barry Moore received 54.69% statewide and 74% of the Franklin County vote.
Congressman Robert Aderholt, who represents Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District, received 75.21% support from Franklin County voters, slightly higher than the 74.80% he received in the entire district.
Aderholt, who first went to Washington in January 1997, won his 15th consecutive term in Congress Tuesday, easily defeating Democratic nominee Amanda Pusczek.
“Serving the people of Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District is truly the honor of my life. I am humbled and grateful that the people of this district have once again entrusted me with the responsibility of representing them in Washington. It is a responsibility I have never taken lightly, and I never will.
“I always remind myself that when I cast a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am not voting for myself. I am casting that vote on behalf of the more than 700,000 people who call the Fourth Congressional District home. Their values, their concerns and their hopes for the future are always at the forefront of my decisions,” he added.
State District Six Senator Larry Stutts earned a fourth term, easily defeating Democratic Bobby Martin 62.88% to 37.12%.
In Franklin County, Stutts enjoyed support from 70% of votes cast in the District Six election.
Overall in Alabama, Democrats showed some life, receiving higher percentages on statewide races than they’ve seen in the past decade, but unable to ride the sweeping changes made nationally as the party regained control of both the United States Senate and House.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen said Tuesday’s results demonstrated his party’s resilience with voters.
“Despite the best efforts of Democrats and their willing accomplices in the liberal media to claim that a massive blue tidal wave was heading for Alabama, the political waters across our state remained bright red once the ballots were counted,” Stadthagen said.
Franklin County voters, along with Alabama voters, supported each of the four statewide Constitutional amendments on the November 3rd ballot. The amendments included changing the election date for Lieutenant Governor in the event the office becomes vacant in the first two years of a term, requiring the State Board of Education to conduct an impact study before any two contiguous county boards of education may be merged, and a mandate that all public K-12 schools recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each school day and broadcast or sanction performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at least once per week in public schools.
Franklin County Local Amendment One passed overwhelmingly, with 6,619 Yes votes and 650 No votes. That amendment authorizes a taxpayer age 65 or older to claim a senior property tax exemption under certain conditions.
And City of Russellville voters approved a 30-year renewal of a 4.5 mill school tax, while Franklin County voters outside Russellville voted down their proposed 4.5 mill school tax renewal.
The countywide 5.5 mill school tax, which is distributed proportionately by enrollment of the county’s two public school systems, was approved by a narrow 226 votes, 3,584 to 3,358.