Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican who represents Alabama's 3rd Congressional District, and Republican Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby won sweeping re-elections in the historic election Tuesday night.
Rogers, who began his term as a U.S. Representative in 2003, won his re-election race with more than 67 percent of the vote with 66 out of 67 counties returned, according to the Secretary of State’s office. He will serve an eighth term as Auburn’s congressman.
Jesse Smith, Roger’s Democratic challenger from Phenix City, Alabama, took only 33 percent of the vote. In 2016, Rogers beat Smith even more handedly than he did when Smith challenged him in 2014.
Smith said he would be back again in 2018 to challenge Rogers if the congressman decides to run for a ninth term.
“I think we ran a good race,” Smith said. “We’ll see him in two years. We’ll get a little rest, and we’ll see him in two years. I really think we ran a hard race. We did what we felt was necessary. We were prepared to stand up and be accountable.”
Rogers has faced little competition for re-election since he first took office in 2003. Smith said he accepted the results, and that it “is what it is.”
“If people would rather vote for someone who is going to take their vote for granted, someone who has been in Washington for 14 years and hasn’t showed anything for it, good luck with it,” Smith said. “We’ll strengthen our message and come back at it.”
Rogers said he was ready to work with the Trump administration in the Republican-controlled House.
“For Republicans in Congress, we will now have a champion in the White House for our conservative agenda, to repeal and replace Obamacare, rebuild our national defense and restore Constitutional rule,” Rogers said. “I look forward to working with the new Trump administration to make America great again. Let’s get to work.”
In the statewide Senate race, Shelby retained his seat with more than 64 percent of the vote. His Democratic challenger, Ron Crumpton, took only 36 percent of the vote. Shelby first took office in the Senate in 1987. Before that, he served in the U.S. House of Representative as a Democrat.
Efforts to reach Rep. Mike Rogers and Sen. Richard Shelby have been unsuccessful.
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