Four years after winning his seat by a single vote, State Sen. Jay Hovey (R-Auburn) won a far more decisive victory Tuesday, defeating Lee County Commissioner Doug Cannon in the Republican primary for Alabama Senate District 27.

Hovey took roughly 69% of the vote (10,933) to Cannon’s 31% (4,936).

The result is a remarkable contrast with Hovey’s 2022 primary against then-incumbent Tom Whatley, which was declared a tie before the Alabama Republican Party ultimately determined Hovey had won by one vote. Whatley withdrew before a full recount.

Hovey, an Auburn University graduate and former Auburn City Councilman, has spent the past four years building a reputation in the Senate. The district covers portions of Lee, Russell, and Tallapoosa counties.

He serves as the Vice Chair of the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee and on the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, the body that allocates roughly $10 billion to public education every year.

With no Democratic challenger in November, Hovey will return to Montgomery for another four-year term.