AL-2: Rep. Roby Wins

​Four-term Alabama Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) easily turned back a Republican run-off challenge from former US Representative and ex-Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, yesterday.  The Congresswoman won a 68-32% victory, winning in all 15 of the 2nd District’s counties.  The run-off turnout exceeded 71,000 Republican voters. 
 
The run-off election was a re-match of sorts from the 2010 campaign.  In that election, Ms. Roby, then a Montgomery City Council member, defeated then-Democratic Rep. Bright, 51-49%, to win her first congressional race.  Mr. Bright, changing parties, returned in this election year to force a re-match.  In the primary, Ms. Roby placed first with only 39% of the vote – a warning signal for any incumbent to be so far under majority support in a partisan primary – while Mr. Bright secured 28% support.  Two others divided the remaining votes.  That result forced yesterday’s run-off contest. 
 
Rep. Roby appears secure in the general election.  She now faces business analyst Tabitha Isner, who won the Democratic nomination outright on June 5th.  Ms. Isner reported having less than $90,000 in her campaign account on the just-released June 30th Federal Election Commission campaign disclosure report, however.