MONTGOMERY — Wiregrass businessman Jeff Coleman and former State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) are heading to a Republican runoff on March 31 in Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
Coleman finished well ahead of the crowded pack in Tuesday’s primary, garnering 38.05%.
Next came Moore with 20.45%, narrowly trailed by Prattville businesswoman Jessica Taylor at 19.88%. Less than 600 votes separated Moore and Taylor, provisional ballots excluded.
Former Alabama Attorney General Troy King got 14.50% of the primary vote, and Terri Hasdorff came in at 4.99%.
Coleman heads into the runoff not only with a large lead but a massive funding advantage, as well. The businessman has the ability to self-fund and also has raised money at an impressive clip. Coleman has compared himself to President Donald Trump in this regard.
Moore has run more of a grassroots campaign, which he embraced in a statement on Wednesday.
“I want to thank all my supporters for their confidence in me, and all the volunteers who worked so hard on this campaign. We truly have the best grassroots group I’ve ever seen, and it made all the difference in this race,” he stated.
Taylor also released a statement on Wednesday, graciously bowing out.
“While we wait patiently for all the ballots to be counted, I want to offer my congratulations to Barry Moore on his strong finish in this race. At this time, it appears likely that he will be the one to move forward into the run-off,” she said.
“It has been a great privilege and the experience of a lifetime to be able to take our conservative message to the national stage,” Taylor continued. “We started a Conservative Squad to go toe-to-toe with the radical socialists in the swamp. We have fought to promote and protect our Alabama values. I am proud to say we have shown that there are strong, conservative Republican women ready to lead.”
She concluded, “The support and encouragement we received from conservatives across the district, this state, and the nation has been humbling. To my team, my family, and all our supporters — to everyone who believed in us — I am forever grateful. Thank you so much.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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