The current President of the Public Service Commission and an outgoing State Rep. are headed for a runoff in July in the race to be Alabama’s next Lieutenant Governor.
Guntersville-Republican State Rep. Will Ainsworth finished second to Montgomery’s Twinkle Cavanaugh in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor. Ainsworth took home 36 percent of the vote compared to Cavanaugh’s 43 percent. The third candidate, Rusty Glover, received 19 percent of the vote. The results move the top two vote-getters to a runoff as no candidate won 50 percent or more of the vote in order to outright win the nomination.
Cavanaugh said she’s looking forward to traveling to all 67 counties again in the runoff.
“What a night! Thank you to everyone who voted today and all of our tremendous supporters! We couldn’t have done it without you!,” Cavanaugh posted on Facebook. “Looking forward to traveling to all 67 counties again and working harder than ever in the runoff. Together, we will build a brighter Alabama!”
“Over the last year, we’ve taken on the crooked career politicians in Montgomery and stood up for conservative values. Tuesday’s results show that we’re on the right track,” said Ainsworth following news of the runoff. “Alabamians’ continued dedication to conservative values inspires me, and I am grateful for the support of conservatives in every city, town and crossroads across our state. We’ve taken on the career politicians and we’ve made great strides, but the fight for Alabama’s future is not over.”
The runoff is set for July 17.
The office of Lieutenant Governor
While some voters know much about the office of Lieutenant Governor, current Gov. Kay Ivey attributes her time in the position as what prepared her to take over the Governorship last April.
As written in state law, the Lieutenant Governor is the President of the Senate and is entitled to vote in the event of a tie, much like that of the Vice President of the United States. They are also vested with certain prescribed legislative duties, powers, and responsibilities.
