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The Birmingham Times
Hayes clenches House District 52 seat
Attorney and educator Gigi Hayes defeated community organizer LaTanya Millhouse on Tuesday in the race for the Alabama House of Representatives District 52 seat.
Gigi Hayes“From the bottom of my heart, I thank God for each and every one of you making this possible,” Hayes wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “This is only the beginning, District 52.”
Hayes won 74.89% of the vote in Tuesday’s runoff race against Millhouse for the Democratic nomination to the seat, according to unofficial results reported by Jefferson County. No Republican is running for the office, so Hayes’ runoff could mean guaranteed victory in November unless an independent candidate makes a bid for the seat.
Incumbent Rep. Kelvin Datcher ran for reelection but came in third in the May 19 Democratic primary.
Birmingham Watch reports that in her victory speech on Tuesday night, Hayes declared, “God is so good. I told y’all day one, this ain’t about a donkey. This ain’t about an elephant. This is about the Lamb of God. It’s time for a change, and I know what I’m supposed to be.”
Wess wins Democratic runoff for U.S. Senate seat
Birmingham attorney Everett Wess narrowly beat activist and businessman Dakarai Larriett in Tuesday’s runoff election for the Democratic nomination for Alabama’s Senate race.
Everett WessWess claimed 54.59% of the votes, according to unofficial results reported by the Alabama Secretary of State.
Wess, who has listed education and healthcare as top priorities, told the Birmingham Times he hadn’t planned on running for Senate but decided to after observing the current political climate.
“The lack of civility that’s going on, it just seemed like Congress wasn’t exercising their duties in the way that the Constitution contemplated,” he said. “I just wanted to offer myself to represent the people of Alabama and try to get us back to civility.”
A former judge, Wess believes his experience also makes him right for the job.
“I’ve been here as a judge, impartial and making decisions based on information that’s provided,” he told the Birmingham Times in a recent interview. “I think as a Senator you have to sit, listen to all sides and bring information in and make important decisions that are right for the people of Alabama.”
In November, Wess will face U.S. Rep. Barry Moore for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat. Moore bested ex-Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in Tuesday’s runoff to secure the Republican nomination.
