Tuberville defeats Sessions in GOP primary runoff

Published 9:01 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Tommy Tuberville will face U.S. Sen. Doug Jones when the Nov. 3 elections come up later this year.

Tuberville defeated former U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions in the Republican primary runoff Tuesday. Sessions was seeking re-election for the Senate seat he held for 20 years before resigning to join President Donald Trump’s cabinet in 2017.

As of press time, with votes tallied in 31 of 67 counties Tuberville was leading Sessions 116,131 votes (59.52%) to 78,988 (40.48%)

Sessions, 73, was wounded by Trump’s criticisms after he recused himself in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Sessions insisted he was required by law to recuse himself because he was a potential subject and witness given his campaign ties to the president.

Trump endorsed Tuberville, 65, after Alabama’s March primary, when Sessions finished just ahead of Tuberville with a third of the vote, but well shy of the majority required for the nomination.

Tuberville is well-known to voters in Alabama as a former head football coach for a decade at Auburn University, including an undefeated season

Tuberville ran a risk-adverse campaign, declining media interviews and Sessions’ challenges to debate in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Democrat Jones narrowly defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election for the seat in 2017. Jones garnered 49.97% of the vote to Moore’s 48.34%, winning by around 20,000 votes. Tuberville will look to recapture the position for the GOP.

Sessions conceded the race during a speech around 8:40 p.m. and congratulated Tuberville on the victory.

Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place No. 2

The only other race on the ballot for Limestone County was the judge for Place No. 2 in the Court of Criminal Appeals.

As of press time, Beth Kellum led opponent Will Smith 54% to 46%, 137,199 votes to 114,934, according to the Associated Press.

There is no Democratic opponent running in this race, so the winner of the runoff will win the seat.

— The Associated Press contributed to this article.