Smooth sailing

That's what the favorites had in Tuesday's primaries, as the frontrunners for statewide office dodged the upset bug that bit a few incumbent state legislators (most notably, longtime Sens. Jack Biddle, R-Gardendale, and Gerald Dial, D-Lineville). But the big news out of this election round was the resounding defeat of Roy Moore, which marked a stunning fall for a man who just a year and a half ago was seen as a solid favorite to capture the Republican nomination for governor. The judicial slate allied with Moore's longtime friend, Justice Tom Parker, also went down hard.

Despite Luther Strange's massive spending, the runoff for the Republican lieutenant governor nomination is no shock, given the residual power of the Wallace family name and Mo Brooks' strong showing in his native Huntsville area. Surprisingly, the closest call for a favorite for a major statewide nod came in the Democratic race for attorney general, where Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, Jr., only won by 13 points against a Holocaust denier who said he'd enjoy seeing Iran "blow Israel off the map." I'll try later this week to analyze the factors that could have led to that.