Cullman – With 99 percent of the votes counted, Democrat James C. Fields, Junior, won Tuesday's special election to fill the vacant District 12 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives. His victory gives the predominantly white district its first black representative.
With 37 of 38 boxes counted, the 54-year-old Fields tallied 3,693 votes, or 59.3 percent. Republican County Commissioner Wayne Willingham had 2,505 votes or 40.3 percent.
The vote count at the Cullman Civic Center was briefly interrupted when power was knocked out by high winds.
The election was held to replace Democrat Neal Morrison, who resigned from the House last August to become president of Bevill State Community College.
District 12 covers about two-thirds of Cullman County.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)