Brinyark Wins GOP Runoff For House District 16 Special Election

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Northport attorney Bryan Brinyark has won the Republican runoff and will now appear on the general election ballot in the special election to fill the open District 16 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

District 16 covers parts of Fayette, Jefferson, and Tuscaloosa counties.

With all ballots counted, Brinyark won with 1,706 votes or 53%, compared to 1,519 votes cast for Cox. Before the final numbers were tallied, Patch confirmed that Fayette County Commissioner and Republican candidate Brad Cox has conceded to Brinyark following a hard-fought Republican Primary.

"I called and congratulated Mr. Brinyark on a great race and want to wish him well in January," Cox told Patch Tuesday night. "He will have my support against the Democratic opposition. I want to thank everyone who assisted in any way with my campaign."

Brinyark's strongest turnout came in his native Tuscaloosa County, where he grabbed 926 votes, which actually outpaced the total number of ballots cast in the Republican Primary in September (845).

"I'm proud of northern Tuscaloosa County and especially the Northside community for how they turned out," Brinyark told Patch. "To increase your turnout by such a wide margin in a runoff is unheard of. We knew we had a big task in front of us but the community came together and I'm thankful."

Brinyark will now face off against Democratic nominee and Fayette County Commissioner John Underwood in the general election on Jan. 9.

The winner of the general election will fill the seat vacated by former state Rep. Kyle South, a Republican from Fayette, who stepped down at the end of the last legislative session to become the new president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

Tuscaloosa Patch has reached out to Brinyark for comment and will update this story accordingly.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com