Kimberly Butler of Lauderdale County, whose election contest in a north Alabama House of Representatives race was rejected by the state Republican Party two weeks ago, has launched a write-in campaign for the seat.
Butler maintains that she missed a chance to win the seat because of voters being assigned to the wrong district. The race is in House District 2 in Lauderdale and Limestone counties.
“I don’t think it’s fair for me to give up on this when I ran on election integrity,” Butler said. “And this is not a fair election. And so the people of Lauderdale County and Limestone County are angry. And they’re very excited about me running this write-in campaign.”
Butler finished third in the May 24 Republican primary, won by Ben Harrison. Butler finished 14 votes behind second-place finisher Jason Black. Harrison beat Black in the June 21 runoff.
Lauderdale County officials have acknowledged that about 70 people who voted in the Republican primary on May 24 were wrongly assigned to House District 1 and should have voted in District 2.
Butler, in her election contest filed with the state party, said she had affidavits from 42 of the wrongly-assigned voters who said they would have voted for her if they had been correctly assigned to District 2.
Butler asked the state GOP to hold a new runoff between Harrison and her. The party’s candidate committee turned down the request and affirmed Harrison as the nominee.
“The Candidate Committee of the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee, after carefully considering the Parties’ submissions and applicable law, has determined that the contest is denied,” the party said in a statement when it made the decision.
Butler and her husband own and operate a photography studio. Butler said she’s received calls and texts expressing support and got a warm reception when she announced her write-in campaign at a senior center event in Elgin today. She explains the write-in process on her campaign website.
Butler said two members of the Republican executive committee have expressed opposition to her running as a write-in against the Republican nominee. She said her write-in candidacy means she could be denied access to run on the Republican ticket for the next six years. She said the Lauderdale County Republican executive committee could ask her to step down from her seat on that board.
“I don’t think they will,” Butler said. “I just know that it’s very much a possibility and I’ve made the decision that it’s worth it.”
Overall, Butler said she expects a positive response.
“I just appreciate people understanding that I’m trying to do the right thing by the people and if I can serve them in any way that’s what I’m going to do.”
In the May 24 primary, Harrison received 3,290 votes, 32.8 percent. Black received 3,115, 31.1 percent. Butler received 3,101, 30.9 percent.
In the runoff, Harrison received 4,308 votes, 55.6 percent. Black received 3,443, 44.4 percent.
Harrison, a former member of the Limestone County Commission, supported the Republican Party’s decision to reject Butler’s election contest.
“I am excited that the Alabama Republican Party upheld the clear will of the voters,” Harrison said in a statement when that decision was made. “I look forward to being a voice for everyone in District 2, and I want each and every citizen to know that they will be represented by someone who cares about them and the welfare of our community.”
There is no Democratic or Libertarian nominee in House District 2 in the Nov. 8 election. The winner replaces longtime Rep. Lynn Greer, who did not seek another term.
