A special general election was held Tuesday in Alabama House District 33, and Republican nominee Ben Robbins has come out on top.
The seat, covering parts of Clay, Coosa and Talladega Counties, became vacant in the summer upon the death of State Rep. Ron Johnson (R-Sylacauga), who had held the seat since 1978.
Provisional votes withstanding, Robbins won election in a blowout of Democrat Fred Crum, 68.19% to 31.68%. A total of 3,273 votes were cast, according to unofficial results, for a district turnout of 10.46%.
Provisional ballots will be counted on January 26, and the governor, secretary of state and attorney general will certify the election by February 10. The regular session of the legislature begins February 2.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan said in a statement, “We extend our congratulations to Ben Robbins on his apparent victory. As a solid conservative, Mr. Robbins will work on behalf of his constituents to promote those values and fight for the issues important to our Party. He will be a welcome addition to our majority in Montgomery. We look forward to working with Mr. Robbins and thank him for his willingness to serve.”
Robbins — a Talladega County native, Sylacauga resident and local attorney — ran against Johnson in the 2018 GOP primary, narrowly losing out by 211 votes. Now, Robbins will succeed the late legislative veteran.
A previous release from his campaign outlined that Robbins will focus on job creation, education and improving vital infrastructure across the Yellowhammer State. The release added that he will work with legislative leaders to keep Alabama’s taxes low and find creative ways to incentivize job creation in an effort to solidify the state’s pro-business reputation.
“Our district is a wonderful place to raise a family,” Robbins stated. “We owe it to our children and grandchildren to leave them with more opportunities than we had, and I believe fresh ideas, bold leadership and true conservative values are the foundation of that success.”
Robbins serves on multiple community boards, including Habitat for Humanity, co-president of Leadership Sylacauga and past-president of the Talladega Rotary Club. He is also reportedly active with several local Chambers of Commerce and the Sylacauga Young Professionals.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Robbins wrote, “Thank you to all the voters across Talladega, Coosa, and Clay Counties! I am excited to get to work for the great people of our district!”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
