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Republican Mo Brooks swept Tuesday’s race to win a second term to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Alabama’s fifth district.
Brooks, 58, defeated Democratic challenger and East Limestone County native Charlie Holley, 48, a computer administrator at Huntsville Hospital.
The most recent statewide totals received prior to The News Courier’s deadline indicated Brooks had received 107,275 votes or 66.12 percent to Holley’s 54,961 or 33.88 percent.
With two boxes still uncounted at press time — including absentee and provisional ballots — Limestone County voters were overwhelmingly favoring Brooks, casting 23,535 votes for the Republican compared to 9,455 for the Democrat newcomer. From a percentage standpoint, Brooks had so far garnered 71.30 percent of the total vote to 28.64 percent for Holley.
“Our campaign strategy worked,” Brooks said by phone from the Davidson Center at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, where he and other regional Republican candidates had gathered. “This has been a rather unusual campaign (because) I did not see my opponent on the campaign trail for the first time until Sunday. In all my other campaigns, I would see that person regularly out and about.”
Brooks outspent Holley by $777,715 during the campaign, with Brooks raising $825,406 and Holley raising $47,961.
The incumbent won his first term as congressman in 2010, pledging to fight for fiscal responsibility while protecting national defense. He opposed raising the debt ceiling last year and has been strongly opposed to President Barack Obama’s budget proposals, including the Affordable Health Care Act that many opponents refer to as Obamacare.
The fifth congressional district includes Limestone, Madison, Lawrence, Lauderdale, Colbert and Jackson counties.
In speaking on other races, Brooks predicted that Romney would win the popular vote, but that President Obama would garner more Electoral College votes. He added that Obama’s response to Hurricane Sandy was the “tipping point” in his favor.
Brooks, however, expressed disappointment that it appeared as though Democrats would retain a majority in the U.S. Senate.
“It shows the American people have elected leaders with diametrically opposing views (than the House), which will make it difficult,” he said.
Local News
Brooks beats Holley by wide vote margin
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