2012 elections: Incumbents sweep congressional primaries in Alabama, Mississippi
March 14, 2012
By Geoff Pallay
Incumbents coasted to victory in all 11 U.S. House primaries last night in Alabama and Mississippi.
Alabama
In Alabama, Republican incumbents Jo Bonner and Spencer Bachus easily defeated their challengers, overcoming an infusion of spending from a Super PAC the Campaign for Primary Accountability. The two districts had received national media attention regarding what was considered "tough" primary challenges. Both incumbents won by more than 30 percentage points, easily clearing the required 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.
Additionally, 5th District incumbent Mo Brooks (R) defeated Parker Griffith for the second consecutive election. In 2010, Griffith was the incumbent who was knocked out in the primary by Brooks. Griffith was unsuccessful in the rematch.
| Members of the U.S. House from Alabama -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 1 | 1 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 6 | |
| Total | 7 | 7 | |
Mississippi
Incumbent Alan Nunnelee (R) had the closest primary, winning with less than 60 percent of the vote. All other incumbents triumphed by large margins.
Additionally, incumbent U.S. Senator Roger Wicker easily won the Republican primary with nearly 90 percent. Albert N. Gore won the Democratic primary.
| Members of the U.S. House from Mississippi -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 1 | 1 | |
| Republican Party | 3 | 3 | |
| Total | 4 | 4 | |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2012
- United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2012
- United States Senate elections in Mississippi, 2012
Election results
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