Norman: “No surprises this runoff”

Published 5:05 pm Thursday, July 15, 2010

With the final runoff votes tallied, Probate Judge Steve Norman says there are no surprises this year.

“Robert Bentley won every box except the Bolling box,” Norman said. “The polling data indicated he would do well, and he did.”

Bentley defeated Bradley Byrne, earning 1,120 votes to Byrne’s 835.

Email newsletter signup

“I think a lot of Tim James and Roy Moore’s voters gravitated towards Bentley’s camp after the primaries, Norman said. “I think the recount left a bad taste in people’s mouths.”

Bentley faces the Democratic nominee Ron Sparks on Nov. 2 in the General Election.

Martha Roby earned the republican nomination for U.S. Representative of the 2nd Congressional District and won Butler County as well, beating newcomer Rick Barber 1,307 to 585. Her opposition is incumbent Bobby Bright (D-Montgomery).

Other totals in the county:

– Dorman Grace fell to John McMillan 802 to 1,021 for the post of Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. McMillan’s opponent in November is Democrat Glen Zorn.

– For Public Service Commission, place one, Twinkle Cavanaugh beat Stephen Evans 1,304 to 519 to earn her a spot on ballots this fall and will face Democrat Jan Cook.

– In the only democratic contest, that for attorney general, James H. Anderson grabbed 195 votes for the win, with Giles Perkins racking up a total of 66 votes. Anderson will face Republican Luther Strange in November.

“Butler County went right along with the rest of state,” Norman said. “The county usually votes Republican in state elections, and for local races, it tends to go Democrat.”

Republican voters outnumbered democrats 7-to-1, Norman said, with only 261 of the total 2,230 votes going towards democratic contests.

“I would expect if you look at it, quite a few people that voted in the democratic primary voted in the governor’s race for the runoff since they didn’t get to earlier,” Norman said.

Only 15 percent of registered voters came out for the runoff, Norman said, which is less than half of the 35 percent that came out for the primaries.