“...But I think when the dust settles, people will see the things we stood for will be proven to be right.” — State Sen. Scott Beason, hugging wife Lori at post-election reception

He wasn’t exactly tilting at windmills, but State Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale knew he was facing an uphill battle by taking on Rep. Spencer Bachus, a 10-term incumbent and the chairman of one of the most powerful committees in the House of Representatives.

In the end, that hill was too tough to climb, as Bachus easily beat Beason, along with Blount County Probate Judge David Standridge of Hayden and Tea Party activist Al Mickle of Alabaster.

With 79 percent of all votes counted, Bachus had received 59 percent of the vote, well above the majority needed to win without a runoff in April. Beason won 27 percent, Standridge 12 percent and Mickle 2 percent.

Bachus will face Penny Bailey of Leeds, who won the Democratic primary, in November’s general election.

Beason conceded the race to Bachus at about 9:50 Tuesday night, before a small crowd of supporters in a meeting room at the Gardendale Civic Center.

Bachus held a huge advantage in campaign funds, coming into the race with more than $1 million in the bank, and adding more from numerous political action committees and so-called “super PACs.” Many of those were affiliated with the financial industry, which Bachus’ House committee oversees and regulates.

Beason had some super-PAC money spent on his behalf for advertising, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Bachus’ bankroll.

“We’ve always been at a money disadvantage, but we’ve always been able to overcome it by talking to people individually,” Beason said. “But in 60 days, you can’t do that in a congressional district. I think I put too much stock in my ability to get out there and really talk to people. And money’s difficult — a two- or three-to-one advantage can be overcome, but 10-to-one? It’s pretty tough.”

Both Bachus and Beason had political baggage to overcome — Bachus is being investigated by the ethics office of the House, while Beason is linked to the controversial Alabama immigration law that he pushed in the state legislature, plus the infamous “aborigine” comment made while wearing a wire during the federal investigation of corruption regarding electronic bingo.

“I think those things had an impact, but I think when the dust settles, people will see the things we stood for will be proven to be right,” Beason said.

In the end, not only did Beason not win the district, he didn’t even carry his own home precinct in Gardendale.

“We have done better in other parts of the district than here, but you’ll see that very few Democrats voted in their primary, and I think a lot of them voted in the Republican primary, and very few of them voted for Scott Beason,” he said.

For now, Beason and his family are headed to the beach for spring break.

Another shot at a congressional race in two years, perhaps?

His supporters cheered at that prospect, but Beason was more cautious.

“You never know. I said I felt led to run at this time…. I’m sure the Lord has a reason for that. But you never know.”

Standridge could not be reached for comment by press time.

In other races:

• Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won the GOP presidential preference primary, edging former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a close three-way race.

Santorum won 33 percent of the vote, with Gingrich at 29 percent and Romney at 28.5 with 93 percent of boxes reporting.

• Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was impeached while in office for his refusal to remove the Ten Commandments from the Supreme Court building, defeated incumbent Chief Justice Chuck Malone as well as Charlie Graddick.

Moore, who arrived at his polling place on a horse Tuesday, captured 51 percent of the vote in the GOP primary and avoided a runoff. Graddick was second.