By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

Two of the more prominent statewide elections in Alabama on Tuesday night, Nov. 8 saw two women walk away victorious their respective races, making history in the process.

Incumbent Governor Kay Ivey won reelection in the state after defeating Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers, while Katie Britt defeated Democrat Will Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus to become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Alabama.

“I don’t take any of these things for granted,” Britt said of the historic moment. “The gravity of all of it is not lost on me. I am humbled, I am honored and I am grateful. I want you to know I understand what a tremendous responsibility these milestones carry, and I do not take that lightly.”

As of 10:40 p.m. on election night, Britt had garnered 66.97 percent of the vote, or 874,529 of the 1,305,939 votes cast.

In Shelby County, with 100 percent of ballots counted, Britt won 72.66 percent of the vote or 50,693 of the 69,765 votes cast.

As she addressed a crowd of supporters and media during a victory speech on Tuesday night, she thanked those who gave her the opportunity.

“You all gave me a shot. You gave me a shot to earn your respect and your vote,” she said. “You allowed me to listen to you, to hear your story, to learn your concerns, to learn your dreams and what you hope the future to be. You are what make this state so special. You are who I am so proud to represent. Thank you.”

Britt said she will now go to work in the senate to represent the state and its values, which include faith, family, freedom and opportunity.

“I am going to tackle challenges head on,” she said. “I am going to look at the things staring us in the face, whether it is inflation or crime, the border crisis, the opioid epidemic, making sure that we expand mental health and that people have access to high speed internet.”

She added that she would ensure that the men and women in uniform would be the best equipped and trained in the world, while also ensuring veterans in America get the best treatment because that is what they have given to the country.

Britt also said she will respect and back law enforcement officers, while she will continuously fight for farmers and children to make sure their best opportunities are available.

“I want to be part of the solution. I’m going to the senate with some novel concepts—to make common sense common again, to implement solutions, to achieve real positive results and to make our great state stronger for our children and our grandchildren,” she said. “No one will work harder than me in the United States Senate. I’m going to be working for all Alabamians, even those who have different beliefs than I do.”

She said she was energized for the fight ahead to make sure the economy and state are put first.

As for Ivey, she won 67.28 percent of the vote statewide with 879,377 of the 1,307,031 votes cast. In Shelby County, she took 51,127 of the 69,832 votes for a total of 73.21 percent.

An excited Ivey addressed supporters after learning that she had won reelection, sharing with them an exclaimed, “We did it!”

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be with all of you tonight to celebrate this hard-fought victory,” she said. “It could not have happened without each and every one of you here and each one and every one that’s watching us at home tonight. You made this happen. Your thoughts, your prayers, your support and your votes allowed us to claim victory tonight a reelection for four more years as the governor of the great state of Alabama.”

Ivey said voters spoke loud and clear for their support for their conservative values, but she knows there is now more work to be done.

“Tonight, we celebrate, but tomorrow, it’s back to work,” she said. “I look forward to working with everybody to ensure our next four years are even brighter than the last four. Tomorrow, we begin to set the highest expectations and standards for America so that we can become not just a premier destination for growth in our region but the entire world. Under my leadership, Alabama’s government will always reflect the values of Alabamians—life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, opportunity from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tennessee River.”

She noted that looking back on the previous four years, the state has had record-low unemployment, 65,000-plus jobs have been created and the there has been more than $32 million in investments made.

“Nearly every part of the world is touched by something that is made right here in Alabama. Automobiles, aerospace and shipping,” Ivey said. “Truly, Alabama touches and leaves its mark on air, land and sea.”

Moving forward, her goal is to make the next four years even better than the previous four.

“I’ve made it my mission as governor going forward to put a renewed emphasis on our education system,” Ivey said. “From our earliest learners to those in our k-12 schools and our students attending post-secondary institutions. We’re investing a record amount of funds toward our educational institutions—investments that will lead to real meaningful changes that will benefit our students and our teachers for decades to come. We provided the highest pay for our most valuable asset in education—our teachers.

“Yes, I am going to fight every day to continue making Alabama the best state in America to live, work, raise a family and, yes, play football.”

Other top statewide elections included attorney general and secretary of state.

In the attorney general race, incumbent Republican Steve Marshall defeated Wendell Major to earn reelection.

Other top statewide elections included attorney general and secretary of state.

In the attorney general race, incumbent Republican Steve Marshall defeated Wendell Major to earn reelection.

Marshall received 67.98 percent of the vote statewide as of 10:50 p.m., which accounted for 918,160 of the 1,350,641 votes cast. In the county, Marshall received 75.39 percent of the vote. 

As for secretary of state, Republican Wes Allen ran away with the election, defeating Pamela Laffitte.

Allen won 65.98 percent of the vote statewide with 67 of 67 counties reporting late Tuesday night. Allen received 72.91 percent of the vote in the county.