BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Republican Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Parker has turned back a Democratic challenger to be elected chief justice of the state’s highest court.
Parker will take over the position previously held by mentor Roy Moore now that he’s defeated Democratic nominee Bob Vance Jr.
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Parker was elected to the Supreme Court in 2004. His campaign appealed to social conservatives and emphasized his hope of one day overturning U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as the one that legalized abortion.
Vance is a circuit judge in Jefferson County. He was endorsed by six former chief justices, including three Republicans, but couldn’t pull off a win in a state where Republicans hold an overwhelming majority.
The chief justice serves on the nine-member Supreme Court and also oversees the state’s judicial system.