After the district’s crowded primary race, Alabama’s 5th Congressional District will see a runoff between Democratic candidates Candice Duvieilh and Andrew Sneed.
On Wednesday, Sneed, Duvieilh and Jeremy Devito released statements reacting to Tuesday night’s election results. All expressed gratitude to their supporters and urged voters to remain active throughout the rest of the 5th District race.
Sneed, who received 19,271 votes Tuesday, or 42 percent of Democratic primary voters, released a statement Wednesday thanking his wife, Bethany, his family, campaign staff and “neighbors throughout North Alabama” for supporting his campaign.
“We launched this grassroots campaign with the promise of hearing every voice, and when I am elected to Congress on November 3, I vow to always keep that promise to the people who have entrusted me with their vote,” Sneed said.
“By joining together and overwhelming the polls, we can send a message to the entire nation that we will not tolerate the dysfunctional politics of division and that we are here to fix the House,” Sneed said. “Together, let’s take back Congress and, as your representative, I’ll make sure that every voice is heard, and I will continue working to earn your vote every day. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to hear your voice. Now let’s work together and win this seat to make sure North Alabama gets the representation it needs and deserves.”
Duvieilh, who received 16,345 votes, or 35.7 percent of Democratic primary voters’ support, expressed thanks to her supporters and said she intends to continue fighting for the 5th District Democratic nomination.
“My family, my team and I are absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support we received yesterday. North Alabama showed UP and made it clear what kind of leadership you want fighting for you,” Duvieilh said.
“I do not take a single one of those 16,345 votes for granted. Every conversation, every shared post, every encouraging word, every volunteer hour and every vote matters. Together, I know we can get what we need to WIN this on June 16,” she said. “This movement has never been about one person. It’s about all of us working together for the future we deserve, and we could not do this without you.”
Sneed and Duvieilh will face each other again in the Democratic runoff for the 5th Congressional District on June 16.
Devito will not advance to the runoff despite receiving 10,238 votes, or 22.3 percent of 5th District Democratic primary voters.
In a statement released on social media Wednesday morning, Devito thanked his supporters and said he intends to remain active in local politics while taking time to focus on his family and mental health in the coming months.
“Thank you for the donations. I hated asking for them. I absolutely hated it, but you showed up and donated, so thank you. Thank you for the time, the energy, the connections, the protests, the setups, the teardowns, the canvassing,” Devito said. “It made a real impact. And thank you for voting, for participating. I hope you understand the importance of your vote, and just how precious it is.”
“That didn’t go as planned last night. Honestly, kind of shocked, but that’s okay. Look at what we did together. We ran a true, progressive, grassroots campaign over a year and a half, and captured a significant portion of the vote,” he said.
Devito attributed his primary loss to the electorate splitting between him and Duvieilh, while encouraging those who supported his campaign to stay active in supporting Duvieilh’s candidacy.
“And if everyone who votes for me votes for her, then we just proved that D5 is ready for an outsider, a woman, a strong leader,” Devito said. “I’ve said it from the beginning. We needed a fight in the primary. People needed to be tested before they take office. Because we have to trust them to act without supervision for two years with decisions that will impact your life.”
The winner of the June runoff will face incumbent U.S. Representative Dale Strong, R-Alabama, in a push to flip the congressional seat.