2020 election
Fridy, Windom Win Appellate Court Races; Kellum and Smith Head to Runoff
MONTGOMERY — Alabama voters on Tuesday gave clear-cut victories in two races for appellate judgeships, while sending a third to a runoff.
For Place 1 on the Court of Civil Appeals, State Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo, defeated Pelham attorney Phillip Bahakel by 66% to 34%. There is no Democrat running in the November general election.
Fridy, has served as an Alabama state representative since 2014. He also serves as the vice-chair of the Judiciary Committee and chair of the committee that oversees campaigns and elections.
In a Facebook post late Tuesday, Fridy thanked supporters for propelling him to a decisive win.
“What a night! I am humbled beyond measure to have won the Republican primary election for Place 2 on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. There’s no way this could have happened without the help of so many friends across Alabama, and I am deeply thankful to everyone who worked so hard on my behalf to help us win the primary tonight,” Fridy said in the post.
For Place 1 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, incumbent Mary Windom defeated Cullman attorney Melvin Hasting by 70% to 30%. With no Democratic primary opponent, Windom will be uncontested in the general election.
Windom was elected as a judge for the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2008. She was elected by her peers as the presiding judge of the court in 2012.
For Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, incumbent Beth Kellum will face former Lauderdale County Commissioner Will Smith in a runoff on March 31. There is no Democrat running in the November general election.
According to the latest results from the Secretary of State’s Office, Kellum got 230,050 votes, 43.3% – less than the majority needed to win the race outright. Smith had the second-highest vote total with 197,274, good enough for 37.13%. Former Jefferson County judge Jill Ganus came in third with 103,945 votes, or 19.57%.
Kellum was elected as a judge of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in 2008. She has also served as a staff attorney for the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court.
