Alabama Runoff Election 2013: Bradley Byrne Wins Race Against Dean Young

Republican Voters Reject Tea Party Candidate In Alabama

Tea partier Dean Young has lost a Republican runoff election in Alabama's 1st district to fellow Republican Bradley Byrne.

Young made headlines this week when Mother Jones surfaced a 2002 quote from the tea partier saying gay rights activists should "go back to California." He's made other controversial statements about immgration, religion and President Barack Obama's birthplace.

Byrne will battle Democrat Burton LeFlore (D) and Independent candidates James Hall and Curtis Railey in the general election in December. The winner of the general election will fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.), who announced in May he would resign to take a job with the University of Alabama.

The Associated Press reports:

With 91 percent of the precincts reporting Tuesday night, Byrne had about 53 percent of the vote; Dean Young garnered roughly 47 percent.

The Republican primary presented a classic clash between the two sides of the Republican Party. Byrne was the establishment candidate, drawing support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and two men who held the 1st District office, Jo Bonner and Jack Edwards. Young ran as an outsider, aligning himself with the tea party and drawing praise from Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Byrne advances to the general election Dec. 17 against the Democratic nominee, Mobile real estate agent Burton Leflore. Leflore has raised little money in a district that has voted Republican since 1964.

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