A special primary for District 74 of the Alabama House of Representatives is scheduled for Tuesday. Rayford Mack is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, while six candidates—Michael Fritz, Tobias Grant, Jesse Heifner, Jay King, Charlotte Meadows, and Daniel Sparkman—are competing in the Republican primary. The seat became vacant when Dimitri Polizos (R) died of a heart attack on March 27, 2019.

 

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a special primary runoff will be held on August 27. If no primary runoff election is necessary, the general election will be moved up to August 27, instead of the current date of November 12. The filing deadline for major party candidates was April 9, while independent candidates—who do not participate in the primary—have until June 11 to file.

 

As of June, 59 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 23 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

 

Entering the special election, the Alabama House of Representatives had 28 Democrats, 76 Republicans, and one vacancy. Alabama has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.