MOBILE, Ala. — Chris Pringle, the speaker pro tempore of the Alabama House of Representatives, won reelection Tuesday in House District 101, defeating Democrat Joan Friedlander, a Mobile dentist.
Pringle had just over 59% of the vote and Friedlander nearly 41%, according to the Mobile County Probate Office, with returns about 99% complete. County returns at that stage showed 79 of 80 precincts reporting countywide, and results remain unofficial until certified.
Pringle, a Republican, declared victory and thanked supporters Tuesday evening at a GOP event in Mobile.
A veteran lawmaker’s return to Montgomery
The district includes Spring Hill, Huntleigh Woods and the Big Creek Lake area. Pringle first represented it from 1994 to 2002 and returned after winning the seat in the 2014 election. He became speaker pro tempore in 2023.
A real estate agent and home builder, Pringle played a major role in Alabama’s recent legislative redistricting efforts during the most recent legislative session. He ran on what he described as “advancing economic growth, workforce development, fiscal responsibility, and conservative values.”
He has said his goal since first taking office has been protecting the city of Mobile, the University of South Alabama and the Port of Mobile. He described a vote for him as a vote for a conservative, pro-business lawmaker representing Mobile in the Legislature’s leadership.
Pringle won the May Republican primary by a wide margin over Tim Manning.
Friedlander’s campaign
Friedlander, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, campaigned on affordable comprehensive health care, improving education in low-performing schools and raising worker pay and benefits. She also called for ending voucher programs, including the CHOOSE Act, which she said harm public schools.
“I’ll work to make all our policies and our resources more inclusive, empowering and forward-thinking for us here today, and for our children and grandchildren,” she wrote on her campaign website.
At a Democratic rally in downtown Mobile two days before the election, she said, “We have all worked really hard and the energy feels exciting.”
Republican political strategists had described the race as one they were “keeping our eyes on.”
