Sand Mountain Reporter

Gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne seems to be the front-runner in the Republican Primary, according to a straw poll performed by the Marshall County Republican Club.

The club conducts the poll every four years.

“Marshall County is now one of the most heavily Republican counties in Alabama,” said Jean Brewer, Marshall County Republican executive committee chair. “And, the concerns and opinions of its voters have to figure prominently in any statewide campaign.”

An overflow crowd of 125 people packed Wintzell’s Oyster House in Guntersville recently for a monthly meeting of the Marshall County Republican Club.

Out of the 125 in attendance, almost 100 participated in the poll.

Byrne won with 51 percent of the vote.

Tim James was second with 23 percent, followed by Robert Bentley and Roy Moore, who tied for third with 11 percent of the vote.

Kay Ivey received 2 percent of the vote and Bill Johnson finished last, receiving a single vote.

“We had an outstanding turnout for our straw poll this year,” Russ Elrod, Marshall County club president, said. “Our local Republican voters have had the chance to hear from these candidates over the past several months and they are very well informed on the issues.”

Marshall County has shifted strongly Republican recently, with 11 elected county offices moving from Democrat to Republican hands since 2006, according to the group.

The Republican club also said 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain carried Marshall County with almost 80 percent of the vote in 2008, and Republican Bob Riley took 62 percent of the vote in his re-election bid for the governor’s seat in 2006.

Seventy percent of the straight ticket voting was Republican in the last countywide election.

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Serving Albertville and the Sand Mountain region

Publisher: Ben Shurett

1603 Progress Drive
Albertville, Alabama 35950

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