Mobile optometrist Mark Shirey will replace retiring State Rep. Victor Gaston in District 100, after winning the Republican primary runoff on Tuesday.
Shirey said he was “overwhelmed” after defeating Pete Kupfer with 62 percent of the vote.
“I had a good plan, ran a good race,” he said in a phone interview. “The volunteers did very well. I’m very happy.”
Replacing Gaston, who most recently served as speaker pro tempore of the House, will not be easy. The Republican veteran served for 41 years. Shirey hopes Gaston will be a tutor, as he heads to Montgomery.
“I’m hoping Victor will take me under his wing,” Shirey said. “I have big shoes to fill.”
For those who can’t remember a time Gaston wasn’t their representative, Shirey said he’s just a phone call away.
“I’m here,” he said. “Call me; talk to me. These are not my decisions. I represent the people of District 100.”
Despite sanctions placed on him by the local Republican Party, Kupfer garnered 38 percent of the vote, with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Shirey beat Kupfer with 1,937 votes to 1,211.
Kupfer was denied application to join the party’s executive committee over a dossier of social media posts that GOP Chairwoman Tricia Strange said showed a pattern of communication and support for Democratic candidates in the past.
Shirey has previously said his campaign had nothing to do with the dossier in question.
Without a Democratic opponent, Shirey will take office next year.
In other races, Jennifer Wright has officially defeated Chris Callaghan for the GOP nomination for a seat on the Mobile County District Court, replacing retiring Judge George Hardesty. Wright did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
State Rep. Wes Allen also defeated Jim Zeigler for the Republican nod to replace Secretary of State John Merrill, who did not seek re-election.
In the U.S. Senate runoff, Katie Britt defeated U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, of Huntsville for the GOP nomination to replace the retiring Sen. Richard Shelby. Britt, who had previously served as Shelby’s chief of staff, won with 65 percent of the vote, with 89 percent of statewide precincts reporting.
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