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State Board of Education Primary Election Results
Two current state board of education members won their primaries, and two are headed to runoffs.
Long-time board members Stephanie Bell (R-District 3) and Ella Bell (D-District 5) defeated their primary challengers.
Stephanie Bell, first elected to the board in 1995, faces a Democratic challenger Jarralynne Agee in November’s general election.
Ella Bell faces no challenger and has secured another four-year term, having been on the board since 2001.
Jeff Newman (R-District 7) and Matthew Brown (R-District 1) are each headed to a runoff.
Newman faces Jim Bonner and Brown faces Jackie Zeigler.
The District 7 winner will determine who wins the seat outright, as there are no challengers.
The District 1 winner will face Democratic challenger Ronald Davis in November’s general election.
Both Bonner and Zeigler completed the questionnaires sent prior to the primary election. No response has been received from Newman or Brown.
Ronald Davis also completed the questionnaire.
The runoff election will be held April 12.
Larry Lee provided a complete recap of these races that can be read here.
While the official vote count hasn’t yet been certified, the Alabama Secretary of State’s web site provides the following unofficial results.
| District | Candidate (Party) | Result | Unofficial Vote Total | Unofficial Percent Vote Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Bourne (R) | Defeated | 20,870 | 23.16% |
| 1 | Matthew Brown (R) - Incumbent | Runoff, then general election | 23,744 | 26.35% |
| 1 | Carl Myrick (R) | Defeated | 12,349 | 13.70% |
| 1 | Jackie Zeigler (R) | Runoff, then general election | 33,152 | 36.79% |
| 3 | Justin Barkley (R) | Defeated | 43,331 | 39.85% |
| 3 | Stephanie Bell (R) - Incumbent | Faces Democratic opponent in general election | 65,403 | 60.15% |
| 5 | Ella B. Bell (D) - Incumbent | Elected to a new term | 68,037 | 86.73% |
| 5 | Joanne Shum (D) | Defeated | 10,414 | 13.27% |
| 7 | Jim Bonner (R) | Runoff determines winner of seat outright | 41,399 | 45.01% |
| 7 | Rhea Tays Fulmer (R) | Defeated | 16,017 | 17.41% |
| 7 | Jeff Newman (R) - Incumbent | Runoff determines winner of seat outright | 34,563 | 37.58% |
