Alabama's last Democrat in statewide office, Lucy Baxley, is handing over the presidency of the Public Service Commission to Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh polled about 55 percent of the vote against Baxley. She will be sworn into office at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Montgomery. The 74-year-old Baxley told fellow Democrats Tuesday night that this was her last race.
Cavanaugh's victory was part of a sweep for Republicans in statewide races. Mitt Romney carried the state in the presidential race and Roy Moore won back his old job as chief justice. State Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead called it "a tremendous night" and said part of the GOP's success stemmed from Alabama voters' dislike of President Barack Obama's views.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.