Heath Allbright wins GOP nomination in HD 11 special election
House District 11 candidate Heath Allbright. Allbright won the GOP nomination for the House District 11 special election and will face Democrat Alex Braswell on Aug. 26. (courtesy of Allbright)
Heath Allbright, a businessman and former Cullman County Board of Education member, won the Republican nomination Tuesday for the House District 11 special election.
Voters in Cullman and Blount counties chose Allbright, 39, over 60-year-old military veteran Don Fallin. As of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Allbright received 1,909 votes (54.3%), while Fallin got 1,609 votes (45.7%) in unofficial election results.
The vote was very close in Cullman County, Allbright got 50.4% with Falling getting 49.6%. Allbright sealed his victory by taking 71.1% of Blount County's votes.
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Allbright announced his victory via social media.
'I am deeply honored by the trust voters in District 11 have placed in me,' Allbright said in a press release. 'I'm ready to fight for our families, schools, and businesses, ensuring our community thrives while preserving the values that make Blount and Cullman Counties home.'
A message seeking comment from Allbright was left Tuesday evening.
Allbright campaigned on conservative Christian values and supporting local education. He said in an interview on May 1 that he supports the CHOOSE and RAISE acts because they bring local control to parents.
According to campaign finance records, Allbright raised $118,000 and spent $62,185. The Alabama House Majority Political Action Committee (PAC) donated $5,000 to Allbright's campaign, as well as many other PACs.
A message seeking comment from Fallin was left Tuesday night.
Allbright will still face Democratic candidate Alex Braswell on Aug. 26. Braswell, a 30-year-old American Sign Language interpreter, said Tuesday night she looks forward to a clean, concise general election in August.
'I wish Heath the best going forward,' she said. 'I won't say no to any debates until the election.'
The seat became open after former Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, resigned in February to take a job with Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman. The district is solidly Republican. Shedd, who won the seat in a special election in 2013, never faced opposition in any subsequent general election.
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