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Kelvin Datcher could be Alabama’s newest state representative as soon as next month.
Originally slated to meet Carlos Crum in a special election to fill the vacant House District 52 seat, Datcher, who won a Democratic primary runoff on Tuesday, could be sworn in as soon as August 1, following Crum’s departure from the race.
Following Datcher’s win on Tuesday, several outlets, including APR, reported that Datcher would be HD52’s new representative, since Crum had officially dropped out. However, on Wednesday, the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office clarified that there remains one hurdle for Datcher before he can take the job.
According to the SOS, the Alabama Republican Party has until July 31, to place a new candidate in the race and challenge Datcher in the special general election slated for Oct. 1. That’s unlikely to happen, given the long odds a Republican would face in the district, but the party still has the option.
Should no candidate be named, it would then be up to Gov. Kay Ivey to declare Datcher the winner and move forward with the swearing in process.
The special election for the seat became necessary when long-time Rep. John Rogers resigned the position in March as part of a plea deal on federal corruption charges. Rogers had served as HD52’s representative for more than 40 years.
Datcher, deputy director for community development for the City of Birmingham, is a first-time candidate, although he’s worked in and around politics for several years.
