Democrat Kelvin Datcher is the next representative for Alabama House District 52, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s special general election.
Datcher defeated Republican Erskine Brown Jr. for the Birmingham-area seat. Brown entered the race late, after Carlos Crum dropped out in July.
Datcher received 84% of the total 1,396 votes cast, according to unofficial results from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Turnout in the special election was 4.05%.
“I’m a little relieved and overwhelmed at the same time,” Datcher told BirminghamWatch. “This is literally the third campaign and election that we’ve had in 105 days – a primary, a runoff and now this general. It’s really exciting to have people support you and vote for you and give you a chance to represent them.
“It’s really humbling, particularly because we have real challenges in some of our communities,” he said. “We have the opportunity to do something special, I think, and work very closely with other people.”
Datcher is Birmingham’s deputy director of community development and his endorsements included Mayor Randall Woodfin and the Business Council of Alabama.
The seat in the House was open because former Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, was forced to resign amid federal corruption charges in March.
Rogers pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The charges are related to what federal prosecutors described as a kickback scheme that diverted money from a fund intended to pay for community projects in Jefferson County.
In July he was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, despite an earlier non-binding plea agreement that gave the 83-year-old a more lenient sentence to be served at home.