Judge Beth Kellum will hold on to her Place 2 seat on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

With 100% of precincts reporting, Kellum received 269,583 votes (56.15%), besting former Lauderdale County Commissioner Will Smith in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff. Smith garnered 210,565 votes (43.85%).

No Democrat candidate qualified to run for this seat, so Kellum is already the presumptive winner of November’s general election contest.

“Thank you to everyone who made the effort to vote in today’s ‘pandemic election.’ It has been one of the great honors of my life to represent you on the Court of Criminal Appeals for the past 12 years,” Kellum said in a Facebook post on Tuesday night. “It was a hard fought race, and I am thankful for the people of Alabama and for the trust you put in me to serve the great State of Alabama. I look forward to serving you for another six years!”

Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan released a statement congratulating Kellum and applauding Smith for his efforts.

“While we had two exceptional candidates for the Criminal Court of Appeals, Alabama Republican voters have selected a highly qualified legal mind to be their nominee for the Alabama Criminal Court of Appeals,” Lathan said.

“Beth Kellum has proven herself to a be a strong judge during her previous two terms on the bench,” she continued. “Combined with her extensive legal career, we are confident Judge Kellum will win re-election and return to this seat on November 3rd. We look forward to her continued service with the upmost integrity and seriousness she has shown Alabama as a judge.”

“We extend our gratitude to Will Smith for his willingness to serve – not just in this position but in his previous post as a Lauderdale County Commissioner. He is a great example of a true statesman,” Lathan concluded.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn