David Standridge, the former Blount County probate judge and commission president, has been elected to fill the vacant District 34 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Standridge, of Hayden, defeated Chris Latta of Oneonta to win a Republican runoff election Tuesday. Since there is no Democratic nominee, Standridge wins the seat by default.

Out of 4,320 votes cast, Standridge won 54.75 percent and Latta 45.25 percent, according to results released by the Alabama GOP.

Standridge retired from the judgeship and the commission presidency to run for the seat, which was vacated when Gov. Robert Bentley appointed Rep. Elwyn Thomas as the new chairman of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission.

Standridge had run earlier this year in the GOP primary for the U.S. House of Representatives Sixth District seat held by Spencer Bachus. Standridge finished third in that race to Bachus, with State Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale second.

District 34 encompasses most of Blount County plus a very small part of northern Jefferson County, in the vicinity of Corner.