2nd Congressional District: Brewbaker, Dobson head to Republican runoff

Former State Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road (left) will face attorney Caroleene Dobson for in the runoff for the Republican nomination for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District. (File)

Former Sen. Dick Brewbaker of Pike Road and attorney Caroleene Dobson are headed to a runoff for the Republican nomination for the 2nd Congressional District.

Brewbaker had 22,556 votes (39.59%) in unofficial returns Tuesday evening. Dobson had 15,075 votes (26.46%) as of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, narrowly ahead of Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who had 14,434 (25.34%). The Associated Press called the runoff late Tuesday evening.

The two candidates will move on to the runoff for the Republican nomination on Apr. 16.

Brewbaker said he felt good about the results over the phone Tuesday night, and that their vote count surpassed their projections.

“That feels good. We carried at least one county I didn’t think we’d carry, and seven out of 13 [counties] is not bad,” he said.

A message seeking comment was left with Dobson Tuesday.

Brewbaker said that with seven candidates, he expected it to go into a runoff, but he wishes that he didn’t have to spend the next 30 days campaigning against another Republican.

“Spending a whole lot more money working against other Republicans just doesn’t help,” he said. “So that’s the downside of the runoff, but the good part of the runoff is it gives you 30 more days to get your message out.”

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While each candidate brings their conservative viewpoints and priorities as they seek to represent the district, common themes in their campaign included immigration and inflation.

Brewbaker, a fiscal conservative, expressed concerns about federal spending, inflation, and climate change policies. He advocated for stricter border security measures, term limits for members of Congress, and a focus on fiscal responsibility.

Dobson emphasized addressing immigration issues, advocating for a total overhaul of the system to prevent unauthorized border crossings and streamline farm-migrant work-visa programs. She is also focused on achieving energy independence and reducing federal overregulation, particularly in the agricultural sector.

Candidates are campaigning in a redrawn district. While a federal court approved a new congressional map for the state in October after almost two years of litigation between the state and Black Alabama residents who said a 2021 congressional map effectively silenced their voices in the political process, Dobson said she believed Republicans can still win the district by effectively communicating their message. Brewbaker was also confident and stressed the importance of fresh perspectives and term limits in government.

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