Katie Britt, an attorney and former chief of staff to retiring GOP senator Richard Shelby, won 45 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary in Alabama. She is now the favorite heading into the runoff election against GOP congressman Mo Brooks, who came in second with 29 percent of the vote.
Donald Trump endorsed Brooks in 2021 but then un-endorsed him in March of this year, claiming that he had dumped Brooks because the congressman had gone “woke” about the 2020 election. But that claim was hard to believe given that Brooks had appeared at the January 6, 2021 “Save America” rally outside the White House, where he shouted: “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass!”
Trump’s decision to kick Brooks to the curb just so happened to occur immediately after a poll showed the GOP congressman trailing both Britt and former Army pilot Mike Durant by double digits. Although Brooks was able to manage a second-place finish in the first round of voting, he’s going to have a very steep climb against Britt, who nearly won 50 percent on Tuesday.
Looks like Britt will fall a few points under 50%, but I have her carrying Mo Brooks' district 38%-37%.
Hard to see how he'll win a runoff if he can't lock down his home area. #alsen
— J. Miles Coleman (@JMilesColeman) May 25, 2022