Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced this week the dates for the special election to fill a Montgomery-area seat in the Alabama House of Representatives.
The district, HD 78, was vacated when its former occupant, Kirk Hatcher, was elected to the Alabama Senate.
Candidates interested in representing the district must file their paperwork to run in the primaries of the major political parties by March 23.
A special primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25.
If either major party does not have a candidate exceed 50% of the vote in May, a special primary runoff election will be held on Tuesday, June 22.
The general election in the district is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7.
House District 78 was represented by former Rep. Alvin Holmes (D-Montgomery) for over 40 years before Hatcher successfully primaried him during the 2018 election cycle.
An opening in the Alabama Senate came about in 2020 when Sen. David Burkette (D-Montgomery) retired amid an ethics investigation. Hatcher’s victory in the subsequent special election opened up the House district he won in 2018.
The district encompasses much of the outskirts of downtown Montgomery. It is considered safely Democratic.
Any independent candidate or minor party that wishes to submit a nominee in the HD 78 special election must submit the requisite number of signatures to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office by May 25.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
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