Staff Report
OWENS CROSS ROADS— Ritchie Whorton claimed a landslide victory Tuesday night in the race for House District 22.
The district, which spans large parts of Madison and Jackson counties, overwhelmingly voted for Whorton over incumbent State Representative Wayne Johnson. Whorton captured a total of 58 percent of the vote, while Johnson received 42 percent. The election result also has an historic quality to it, in that Whorton’s victory was the largest margin of victory for a House of Representatives challenger in the State.
While celebrating at his home with family and friends, Whorton was quick to praise his opponent for a spirited campaign. “I want to thank Wayne Johnson for his years of service to his community, both as a law enforcement officer and as our State Representative,” Whorton said.
Speaking to the historic nature of his victory, Whorton said, “I am deeply grateful to the people of District 22. We didn’t come into this race with a lot of political connections and money, but I think that these results prove that a strong message of fighting for the interests of Madison and Jackson counties over those of the Montgomery political bosses, along with effective grassroots campaigning are more important to the people of this district.”
Throughout the campaign, Whorton distinguished himself as a the alternative to the State’s political establishment, declaring that he would only fight for the interests of the people who elected him, rather than the Montgomery elite. In another move that ran against the Montgomery political establishment, Whorton pledged to run a clean campaign devoted to the issues that matter most to the people of his district. This was a promise he kept throughout the campaign.
“I said from day one that, if I was blessed enough to serve, my only political boss in Montgomery would be the people of District 22,” Whorton stated. “That statement has never been more true than today, and it will continue to be true four years from now.”
Whorton continued, “If I am elected to represent District 22 in November, I pledge to fight for what matters to the people of Madison and Jackson counties, especially making government smaller and more transparent, and working to bring more jobs and development to our counties. I look forward to the work ahead, there are still more people I want to meet and talk to here in District 22. This victory fills me with a great sense of gratitude to the people of Madison County and Jackson County, and confidence moving forward in this campaign.”
Ritchie Whorton is the Republican Party’s nominee for State House District 22. After his historic win on Tuesday night, Whorton advances to the general election which will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
