Republican State Rep. Joe Lovvorn has won his seat once more in a close race for House District 79 against Democrat Mary Wynne Kling.
According to the incomplete unofficial vote count, Lovvorn received 58 percent of the vote to Kling's 42 percent.
The district includes most of Auburn.
During his time in office, Lovvorn has sponsored three bills concerning education, child safety and reimbursement for safety volunteers. Most well-known to the Auburn area was "Sadie's Bill," which requires food service establishments to have locking manhole covers on their grease traps.
The bill was prompted by the death of a toddler in Auburn. Sadie Grace Andrews died after falling into an unlocked grease trap. The bill passed.
Kling, the outreach and development coordinator for the Lee County Humane Society, focused on education, jobs and healthcare.
Lovvorn is on the education ways and means committee, something he wanted to be a part of at the start of his first run for office.
Lovvorn and Kling both expressed interest in expanding state pre-K programs, as well as working with higher education. Alabama's pre-K program, ASRA, is highly regarded all over the country. The program has not expanded to all areas of the state, though, and only serves about 32 percent of eligible 4-year-olds.
In addition to education, Lovvorn is turning time and attention to small business and farming regulations.
"My goal is to continue to make it where farmers and business owners can adequately survive in the business world and this economy," Lovvorn said.
For more on Lovvorn, click here.
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