On an election night when Republican candidates were enjoying success across the nation, State Senator Dr. Robert Bentley (R – Tuscaloosa) rode a wave of anti-establishment sentiment to a substantial victory in the Alabama gubernatorial race over Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks (D).

Both The North Jefferson News and the Associated Press projected Bentley as the winner at about 8:20 p.m., an hour and 20 minutes after the polls closed.

Other statewide races were still too close to call, with incumbent Lt. Governor Jim Folsom Jr. (D) holding a narrow lead over his challenger, State Treasurer Kay Ivey. At 9:45 p.m., with 51 percent of all boxes reporting, Folsom was ahead by two percentage points, or about 17,600 votes.

Locally, Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale (R) won re-election over Democratic challenger W.E. Hill, despite trailing in early returns for much of the night. Likewise, incumbent District Attorney Brandon Falls (R) overcame an early dificit to gain a late edge over challenger Theo Lawson (D), though that race was still too close to call.

State Senator Scott Beason (R -Gardendale) easily won re-election by a wide margin, as did Jeferson County Commissioner Joe Knight.

A statewide amendment that has its roots in the sales tax dispute between Hayden and Warrior was still too close to call, with vote totals nearly tied with “yes” leading by about 1.6 percent.