A special election primary runoff was held on September 1 for District 49 of the Alabama House of Representatives. Russell Bedsole defeated Mimi Penhale for the Republican nomination with 51.4% of the vote. Bedsole will face Cheryl Patton (D) in the special general election on November 17, 2020.
The seat became vacant after April Weaver (R) resigned to become a regional director in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to her resignation, Weaver had held the seat since 2010.
Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 75-28 majority in the Alabama House of Representatives with two vacancies. Alabama has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
As of September, 57 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2020 in 26 states. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.
Additional reading
State legislative special elections, 2020
Alabama House of Representatives District 49
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