Former Senate staffer Katie Britt and Rep. Mo Brooks will square off in a June run-off election after no candidate received 50% support in Alabama’s Republican Senate primary to replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.
With more than 70% of votes counted, Britt received more than 45% support, Brooks received 29%, and Army veteran Mike Durant received 23%, with no other candidate in the six person race garnering more than 1.2%. Britt served in Shelby’s office from 2004-2007 and again from 2016-2018, and is a first time candidate for elected office. Brooks is currently serving his sixth term in the House of Representatives.
Several elections forecasters called the race shortly before 11 pm Eastern time.
Looks like Britt will fall a few points under 50%, but I have her carrying Mo Brooks’ district 38%-37%.
Hard to see how he’ll win a runoff if he can’t lock down his home area. #alsen
— J. Miles Coleman (@JMilesColeman) May 25, 2022
The results mark a stunning reversal in fortune for Brooks, who polled as low as twelve percent in March. Initially a heavy front-runner, Brooks fell to third place in polls after former President Donald Trump withdrew his support of the congressman. Trump claimed Brooks went “woke” when he told a rally crowd to put the 2020 election “behind you,” and the candidate’s support bottomed out shortly after.
Brooks blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for Trump’s unendorsement, claiming that Trump allowed the Kentucky senator and his allies to “manipulate him.” Brooks is one of several GOP candidates pledging to vote against McConnell should he run for GOP leader again in 2023. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Republican Senate Candidate Mo Brooks Slams McConnell, RNC, And ‘Weak RINO Establishment’ Over Amnesty And Special Interests)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 04: U.S Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) speaks to members of the media after a closed door briefing by Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel to members of Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee December 4, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Haspel was on the Hill to brief committees members about U.S. intelligence related to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Britt most recently served as president of the Business Council of Alabama, a position she held from 2019-2021. Her campaign was buoyed by significant financial support from Shelby, who gave $2.5 million to a Super PAC supporting his former aide. Shelby pledged to spend up to $6 million through his leadership PAC in support of Britt, who set fundraising records in her first three weeks in the race.
In addition to support from Shelby, Britt also received donations from Republican Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
The Republican run-off will be held on June 21. The winner will face off against pastor Will Boyd, who has unsuccessfully sought elected office on several occasions.