Former Trump Critic Martha Roby Wins Alabama House Primary

Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama has won a Republican primary election, defeating a challenger who attacked her for withdrawing her support for Donald Trump in the last days of the 2016 campaign. Roby’s criticism of Trump is thought to have cost her a clear-cut victory in an initial round of voting last month. After she fell short of a majority, she was forced to face off against Bobby Bright, a former Democrat who served in Congress and as mayor of Montgomery, Alabama’s capital. Despite her withdrawal of support following the leak of the Access Hollywood tape—which she said made Trump an unsuitable candidate—she has since been loyal to him, and appears to have been forgiven by voters, and Trump, for criticizing him. The president backed her in a tweet last month, saying: “Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama has been a consistent and reliable vote for our Make America Great Again Agenda. She is in a Republican Primary run-off against a recent Nancy Pelosi voting Democrat. I fully endorse Martha for Alabama 2nd Congressional District!”