Leigh Hulsey and Kenneth Paschal are heading to a runoff following Tuesday’s special Republican primary in Alabama House District 73.
Unofficial results showed Hulsey leading the five-person primary field with 30.77%, while Paschal garnered 27.10%.
The safely Republican seat was vacated by former Rep. Matt Fridy’s (R-Montevallo) election to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. HD 73 represents portions of Shelby County.
Hulsey is Helena’s city council president pro tem and the owner of CrossFit Alabaster.
“I would love to thank everyone who got out to vote today (absentees too). I’m overwhelmed and incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to earn your vote in the runoff on April 27th! Time to get back to work!” she said in a Tuesday night social media post.
Paschal served 21 years in the Army before retiring in 2006. He is a past commander of the American Legion and a member of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce.
“I want to thank the voters of Shelby County for the trust they placed in me today. There were many good candidates and I’m grateful for the voters’ support,” he stated. “I’ve never run for office before, but I feel like our campaign has momentum and I’m going to continue to work hard for every vote.”
The special primary runoff is slated for April 27.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn