Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has clinched the Republican nomination for governor without a runoff.
Ivey was declared the winner Tuesday night after beating back a field of GOP challengers. She is seeking to win the office in her own right after becoming governor 14 months ago when her scandal-battered predecessor, Robert Bentley, resigned.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, evangelist Scott Dawson and state Sen. Bill Hightower did not collectively pull enough votes to force Ivey into a runoff. She will face the Democratic nominee in November.
In her campaign, Ivey emphasized the state’s robust economy, falling unemployment rate and the quieting of the scandal that had engulfed the state’s previous governor.
Her challengers had condemned her refusal to debate and indirectly questioned whether the 73-year-old governor could complete a four-year term.
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)
