GOP inches closer to majority in Alabama House

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The victory by a Huntsville businessman in a race for a vacant Alabama House seat has moved Republicans within nine seats of taking control of the chamber.

That’s the closest the GOP has come to a majority in the House since Reconstruction.

The win by Republican Phil Williams in the race for the House District 6 seat in Madison County comes about a month after Republican Paul Sanford won election to a Huntsville-area state Senate seat. That win moved the GOP to within five seats of a majority in the Senate.

The success in special elections has state Republican leaders believing they have a shot at taking control of one or both legislative chambers in 2010 for the first time in more than 120 years.