What Went Down In The June 21 Elections In Alabama, Virginia And Georgia

Alabama will be the last state where we get votes tonight (its polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern), and we are watching three races there:

• The GOP runoff for U.S. Senate will almost certainly determine who replaces retiring Sen. Richard Shelby next year, given Alabama’s dark-red hue. And both options are quite Trumpy; in fact, the former president has endorsed both of them at various points in the race. He initially supported Rep. Mo Brooks for the seat, but after Brooks struggled in the polls, Trump unendorsed him and is now favoring former Business Council of Alabama President Katie Britt in the runoff. An Emerson College poll from June 12-15 gave Britt a 59 percent to 41 percent lead.
• The GOP runoff for the 5th District will also surely determine who succeeds Brooks in the House, given the district’s deep-red partisan lean. Having received 45 percent in the first round, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong looks like the favorite. However, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Casey Wardynski could appeal as the more purist conservative option.
• Finally, the GOP runoff for the open secretary of state’s office will de facto decide who oversees elections in Alabama for the next four years. The race looks like a toss-up between state Auditor Jim Zeigler and state Rep. Wes Allen, but the two have similar views on election integrity: They have both expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.