Longtime Senator Richard Shelby soundly defeated four challengers in the Republican primary Tuesday.

Shelby, who was first elected to the Senate in 1986, will still need to defeat Ron Crumpton in the general election in November to earn his sixth term.

On Tuesday, Shelby garnered nearly 65 percent of the vote to defeat Marine veteran Jonathan McConnell, former state legislator Shadrack McGill, Baldwin County businessman Marcus Bowman and former Army Ranger John Martin.

McConnell was Shelby’s closest challenger with nearly 28 percent of the vote. The remaining candidates combined to receive about 8 percent of the vote.

“Serving as your senator is a privilege and responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I will continue to stand up against big government for all Alabamians and Americans,” said Shelby.

Crumpton received more than 56 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, while Charles Nana garnered nearly 44 percent of the vote.

Shelby received nearly 73 percent of the vote in Butler County, while Crumpton received nearly 32 percent and Nana garnered 68 percent of the vote.