2013 Alabama's 1st congressional district special election explained

Election Name:	2013 Alabama's 1st congressional district special election
Country:	Alabama
Type:	by-election
Seats For Election:	Alabama's 1st congressional district
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama#District 1
Previous Year:	2012
Next Election:	2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama#District 1
Next Year:	2014
Election Date:	December 17, 2013
Nominee1:	Bradley Byrne
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	36,042
Percentage1:	71.0%
Nominee2:	Burton LeFlore
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	14,968
Percentage2:	29.0%
U.S. Representative
Before Election:	Jo Bonner
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Bradley Byrne
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

A special election for Alabama's 1st congressional district was held following the resignation of Jo Bonner on August 2, 2013, to become vice chancellor for the University of Alabama.^[1] Primary elections were held on September 24. A runoff in the Republican primary took place on November 5 and the general election was pushed back to December 17.^[2] Republican Bradley Byrne won the election by a wide margin in the strongly conservative district.^[3]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Bradley Byrne, former state senator and candidate for Governor of Alabama in 2010^[4] ^[5]
Daniel Dyas, builder^[5]
Chad Fincher, state representative^[5]
Wells Griffith, former RNC deputy chief of staff^[5] ^[6]
Quin Hillyer, newspaper columnist^[5]
Jessica James, real estate agent, candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education in 2012 and candidate for the Tuscaloosa City Council in 2005^[5]
Sharon Powe, entrepreneur, legal assistant for the U.S. Small Business Administration and candidate for the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010^[5]
David Thornton, retired Shell production specialist and retail employee^[5]
Dean Young, businessman and candidate for the seat in 2012^[5]

Declined

Jim Barton, state representative^[7]
Randy Brinson, political activist and gastroenterologist^[8]
Ben Brooks, Mobile County Circuit Judge and former state senator^[8]
Greg Callahan^[8]
Sam Cochran, Mobile County Sheriff ^[7]
Jeff Collier, Mayor of Dauphin Island^[7]
Robert Craft, Mayor of Gulf Shores^[7]
Randy Davis, state representative^[7]
Tucker Dorsey, Baldwin County Commissioner^[7]
Victor Gaston, state representative^[7]
Rusty Glover, state senator^[7]
Peter Gounares, real estate agent and candidate for the seat in 2010 and 2012^[7]
Bill Hightower, state senator^[8]
Connie Hudson, Mobile County Commissioner^[8]
Tim Kant, Mayor of Fairhope^[7]
Tony Kennon, Orange Beach Mayor^[8]
Albert Lipscomb, former Baldwin County Commissioner^[8]
Hoss Mack, Baldwin County Sheriff^[7]
Stephen Nodine, former Mobile County Commissioner and Baldwin County Jail inmate^[9]
Trip Pittman, state senator^[10]
Ashley Rich, Mobile District Attorney^[8]
Pete Riehm, real estate agent and candidate for the seat in 2012^[7]
Tim Russell, Baldwin County Probate Judge^[7]
Sandy Stimpson, Mobile Mayor-Elect^[7]
Robert Wilters, Baldwin County Circuit Judge^[8]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	width=70px	Bradley Byrne	width=70px	Daniel Dyas	width=70px	Chad Fincher	width=70px	Wells Griffith	width=70px	Quin Hillyer	width=70px	Jessica James	width=70px	Sharon Powe	width=70px	David Thornton	width=70px	Dean Young	width=70px	Undecided
Cygnal^[11]	September 17–18, 2013	716	± 3.64%	align=center	34%	2%	align=center	14.9%	8.3%	9.1%	0.7%	1.1%	0.3%	12.1%	align=center	17.5%

Runoff

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Bradley Byrne	Dean Young	Other	Undecided
Cygnal^[12]	October 30, 2013	1,027	± 3.03%	40.2%	align=center	43.2%	—	16.6%
Wenzel Strategies^[13]	October 6–8, 2013	412	± ?%	align=center	44%	37%	—	19%