Republican K.L. Brown of Jacksonville captured 55.6 percent of the vote Tuesday during a special election to fill the District 40 House seat. Brown replaces Lea Fite, a Democrat, who died last October after a sudden illness. This is a gain for the Republicans in the Democratic-controlled Alabama House of Representatives. Democrats still hold a 60-45 edge.

Brown had 3,422 votes to Democrat Ricky Whaley’s 2,575 votes or 41.9 percent. Independent candidate Carol Hagan got 156 votes or 2.5 percent.

The campaign was hard-fought, often bitter, and laced with television and newspaper ads, plus mailouts and recorded telephone calls.

After the results were certified, Brown started work in Montgomery the next day.

“I think our district has been without representation long enough,” said Brown. “I know a lot of little guys got me where I am and I am not going to forget anybody. I am going to be a representative of the whole district, not just the part that voted for us.”

Brown is the owner of funeral homes in Jacksonville and Golden Springs.

Whaley, a teacher at Jacksonville High School, was gracious in defeat.

“I want to congratulate Mr. Brown and his family. They worked hard, as did we. They got the vote out and we didn’t,” Whaley said. “We ran a good race, and met a lot of really, really good people. A lot of good people stepped up to help us.

“In he beginning we thought 4,000 votes would win this for us, and I thought we had identified enough to get to 4,000, but we didn’t have it. But it wasn’t all for naught. I hope my students and kids take away from this the fact that it is important to be involved in the political process, and when you do things you need to do them the right way. You got to help as many people as you can.”

As for the speculation by many that he would file a complaint against Brown due to alleged rule breaking, Whaley said that it wouldn’t come from him.

He also said that he as already paid the fees and qualified for the June Democratic Primary.

“All my life since the time I was born, I have been on the ropes,” said Whaley. “I will bounce back. We will come back out in June and see what it holds.

“I don’t have any malice against Koven Brown in my heart at all. I am this way, if I don’t win fair and square, I am not going to go back and get somebody else. That is just not me. So, if somebody does something, it won’t be Ricky Whaley, I assure you of that.”

In an interview with the Anniston Star, Hagan says she think people were afraid that a vote for an independent would be wasteful.

“I thought the ones who signed my petition to get on the ballot would vote for me,” Hagan said. “I guess they thought they’d throw their vote away if they voted for an independent.”

Jacksonville Mayor Johnny Smith congratulated Brown.

“I think K.L. has a lot of business experience and he will take that with him to Montgomery,” Smith said. “He loves this part of the state and he has been here for a long time. I think he will be great for us.”