Republican Katherine Robertson leads race for Alabama attorney general

Republican nominee Katherine Robertson led the race for Alabama attorney general late Tuesday night.

As of 11:08 p.m., Robertson, chief counsel in the AG’s office, received 854,919 votes (56%) in unofficial returns. Democratic nominee Jeff McLaughlin, a former state representative from Guntersville, garnered 673,380 votes, almost 44%.

The numbers were taken from the Alabama Secretary of State’s website. The Associated Press had not called the race as of late Tuesday evening.

A message was sent to the Robertson campaign Tuesday evening seeking comment.

Robertson will succeed Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who has held the office since 2017 and was term-limited. Marshall sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate earlier this year but finished third in the primary.

Robertson highlighted endorsements she received from Second Amendment rights groups such as the National Rifle Association on her campaign website. She also posted endorsements from the Coosa, Tuscaloosa and Madison sheriff’s offices.

A message was sent to the McLaughlin campaign Tuesday evening seeking comment.

McLaughlin did not have a significant campaign presence until September when his website went online. On it, McLaughlin pledged to address corruption and to hold state officials accountable. He also promised to protect consumers in Alabama and equally apply justice in the state, “protecting the rights of every Alabamian and refusing to use the office to settle political scores.”

In an interview in September, McLaughlin said he would use the authority of the office to help ensure that consumers in Alabama will pay the lowest power rates possible.

Robertson defeated Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell for the Republican nomination in June.

The Republican nominee held a major cash advantage in the race. Robertson raised a total of $4.4 million for the primary and general elections this year and spent a total of $5.3 million through Friday, according to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. McLaughlin raised just under $51,000 and spent about $45,000.