By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Huntsville insurance executive Wayne Parker has won the Republican nomination for the Fifth District Congressional seat in north Alabama.
Parker had 79 percent of the vote to 21 percent for Huntsville lawyer Cheryl Baswell Guthrie with 97 percent of the votes counted.
Parker will face state Senator Parker Griffith in the November 4 general election. They are seeking to replace veteran Democratic Congressman Bud Cramer.
Griffith is a retired physician and is personally wealthy. He is expected to have plenty of money to spend on the general election race.
Athens State University political scientist Jess Brown said Griffith is also likely to receive the backing of traditional Cramer supporters in the Democratic leaning district.
But Brown says he expects the Republican Parker to make it a competitive race, particularly if presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain runs a strong race in the district.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)