So much for the Democrat’s Operation Chaos in the 5th district.  Wayne Parker defeated Cheryl Baswell Guthrie by about a 4 to 1 margin yesterday to become the Republican nominee for Alabama’s 5th district congressional seat.

Reactionary beat me to the punch in posting the raw numbers from the election, so I’ll just point out a few things I noticed.

There were 20,358 total votes cast in the 5th district race (97% reporting).  That was fewer than each of the candidates in AL-02 received (Jay Love defeated Harri Anne Smith 25,134 to 22,404).  I would suggest that is more of a reflection of how hotly the AL-02 race was contested as opposed to the AL-05 race where the outcome was all but certain.  It wasn’t quite the lock that Griffith vs. Maker was in the Democrat primary, but it was pretty close.

I took the wife and kids to the Parker headquarters for the expected victory party and campaign speech.  I met some great people and heard more of what has become a common theme: Parker is an all around great guy.  During the primary everyone - without exception - I talked to who knew Wayne would tell me what a decent person and man of integrity he is.  That includes a couple of people who were supporting one of Wayne’s opponents and had motivation to say negative things about him, but couldn’t bring themselves to do it.  Not many politicians are held in such high regard.  Parker delivered a strong speech (excerpts below) and really staked out his territory as the only true conservative in the race who can be relied upon to stand up for conservative values.

Runoff’s are strange beasts.  In the primary for Madison County Tax Collector Angela Stafford nearly won outright in a field of three candidates with 8,023 votes (47%).  Cory Brown came in second with 5,266 (30%).  But in the runoff Brown defeated Stafford 6,370 votes (55%) to Stafford’s 5,269 votes.  So Brown not only overcame a 18 point margin to pull off the upset, but he also increased his vote total by over 1,000 votes.  That is impressive considering that turnout in Madison County was about 58% of the primary total.  I would attribute this to a mix of getting out his superior message, mobilizing supporters at the polls, and Brown’s stronger Republican ties.

I also had a first experience of sorts yesterday.  I worked my polling place for Brown in the morning and late afternoon.  During my morning shift I talked to a lady who said that she voted for Stafford in the primary, but changed her mind the previous day to support Brown.  When I asked her what prompted the change of heart she told me that she had read about him on Flashpoint blog and that you (the Brown campaign) should thank them (Flashpoint blog).  I introduced myself as the author and we talked for a while about various things.  It was the first time in over two years of writing this thing that someone has told me about the blog without knowing I’m the author.

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Excerpts from Wayne Parker’s victory speech:

“Over the next few months, the people of North Alabama will be given a clear choice as to who represents them in Washington.”

“The federal government is obligated to ensure the safety of the people from all threats - foreign or domestic, and to continue strong support for advanced space exploration. As your next congressman, I will support missile defense and maintaining the best trained and equipped military. I will strongly support NASA; specifically, the Marshall Space Flight Center. And, finally, I will always fight to fulfill the promises we made to our veterans.”

“We must not allow our country to be held hostage by our dependence on foreign oil. We must begin drilling and producing our own resources offshore and in ANWR, while looking to alternative energies so we can become completely energy independent. I believe the Tennessee Valley Authority, right here in North Alabama, is poised to lead in the development and production of nuclear energy. We cannot wait for $12 per gallon gas…we must act now.”

“We must close our borders and stop illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is not only an economic and public health issue; it is also a national security issue.”

“I am pro-life and I will always support traditional marriage between a man and a woman.”

“I am a firm believer in our 2nd Amendment and I am proud to have received the endorsement of the NRA in this runoff election.”

“Last, but not least, the federal tax code is too complicated, and our taxes are too high. I will fight for serious tax reform even if it means we must abolish the current code. I support abolishing the death tax and making our current tax cuts permanent.”

“Liberal politicians who dodge the real issues and create convenient answers are just not acceptable, and North Alabama deserves better.”

“I am a candidate for congress who has a burning desire to fight for our values. If you are looking for a silver-tongued politician who changes with the political winds, look elsewhere. But, if you are looking for someone who will get in the trenches, fight for America, and fight for what’s right, I ask for your support.”

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This entry was posted by Brian on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 5:50 am and is filed under AL-05 Congressional Race, Madison County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Please note the copyright policy.