RNC chairwoman says Alabama Senate race likely headed to a runoff

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the race for the party’s nominee in the Alabama Senate contest is likely headed to a runoff.

McDaniel told “Fox News Sunday” the race between Rep. Mo Brooks, former political aide Katie Boyd Britt and former combat pilot Mike Durant will be too close to call on Election Day for any one candidate to declare victory.

“I don’t think we’re going to have a final say on this Alabama race,” McDaniel said, adding that the candidates have to clinch 50 percent of the vote to win. “I don’t think any of the three candidates are going to get over 50 percent so we’re going to go to a runoff, and then we’ll figure out who the nominee is.”

Alabama’s Senate primary, where voters will choose who replaces retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, will be held on Tuesday . Polling last week also indicated the race was likely headed to a runoff.

According to the poll, Britt held the lead with 32 percent of likely voters supporting her, compared to 26 percent of voters backing Durant and 25 percent backing Brooks.

Former President Trump pulled his endorsement for Brooks in March after the congressman said Republicans should move past contesting the 2020 election. Brooks, who had been the favorite, saw his polling numbers slide as a result.

McDaniel said that despite the RNC staying “neutral” when it comes to elections, Trump “is always going to get involved in primaries.”

“I’m not surprised that he get involved,” she said. “That’s just the nature of politics.”