It wasn’t the surprise victory he hoped for, but it wasn’t the embarrassing defeat he feared.
In Alabama, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) narrowly landed himself in a runoff election with Republican Katie Britt, the former chief of staff for retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).
Although Britt strongly defeated Brooks and Army veteran Mike Durant, she was held just under the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff. And while she looked like she would ultimately defeat Brooks by about 20 points, the race is far from over.
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Durant has already said he’ll implore his supporters to vote for Brooks in the runoff, and his voters could change the dynamic in the race.
Of course, looming over everything is another endorsement: Former President Donald Trump’s.
Trump initially endorsed Brooks. But he rescinded his blessing months later, in March, after Brooks wasn’t finding traction. Trump said he took back his support because Brooks had stopped talking about the 2020 election and had become “woke,” but it was also noteworthy that Brooks was consistently running in second or third in the polls at the time—even with Trump’s support.
So when Trump took back his endorsement, it looked like it would be the death knell for Brooks.
Not so fast.
While Brooks is far from the favorite in the race at the moment, he’s not dead yet. The dynamics of the race could still work out for Brooks before the June 21 runoff, when only the most devoted voters will come out. That’s usually good news for the more conservative candidate in a Republican primary—particularly in a state like Alabama.
Still, it is Britt who seems best positioned to ultimately carry the day.
Britt has benefitted from Shelby’s endorsement, as well as $2 million from a group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). She ran as the favorite of establishment Republicans, while also trying to appeal to Trump voters who couldn’t help but notice that Brooks lost Trump’s support.
But ultimately, Trump actually getting back in the race and endorsing Britt might actually do Brooks in.
When he rescinded his endorsement, Trump said he’d be making a new endorsement in “the near future.” He never did, but that doesn’t mean he won’t now.
