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“I am humbled to have been elected the state representative for Alabama’s House District 16,” Brinyark told Patch after informing those gathered of the news. “I want the voters to know that I take this new job and responsibility seriously. I will be available to you and always have an open door. I am ready to get to work.”

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Brinyark won all but one precinct in Fayette County, 1,217-369, while carrying 93% of voters from Tuscaloosa County with only one precinct left (842-63).

“I just want to tell [Brinyark] he ran a fine race, a clean race, and I wish him well in Montgomery and just want to wish him good luck,” Underwood told Patch by phone Tuesday night.

Underwood, a career police officer, has served on the Fayette County Commission for 24 years and says he has no intention of letting this one election loss be his last campaign. He then confirmed to Patch his campaign to run for re-election to the commission in November.

“Oh no, I’m not quitting politics,” he said with a laugh when asked about the future. “Not unless the voters don’t want me next November.”

On the campaign trail, Brinyark ran on a platform of being tough on crime and harsher sentences for violent offenders, along with bringing high-paying jobs to the district. He also pledged to fight higher taxes and defend the education of Alabama’s children.

The six-candidate field for the GOP Primary saw Brinyark and Fayette County Commissioner Brad Cox force a runoff, which the Northport attorney won with 1,706 votes or 53%, compared to 1,519 votes cast for Cox. His strongest showing in the primary came from precincts in northern Tuscaloosa County, with Brinyark pulling off the rare feat of having a higher turnout of Tuscaloosa County voters in the runoff than he posted in the primary.

In addition to his work as a practicing attorney, Brinyark, 55, is a reserve municipal court judge for the City of Tuscaloosa and also serves as the municipal court judge for the cities of Brent and Centreville, along with the Town of Woodstock.

A 1990 graduate of the University of Alabama, Brinyark received his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1993.

Apart from a legal career spanning three decades, Brinyark has owned a small farm in Windham Springs since 1999, where he raises livestock for market and show, in addition to growing produce that is sold at the farmer’s market each week.

In terms of community service, he had held leadership positions on several boards of directors for nonprofit organizations like Indian Rivers Behavioral Health, Friends of the NRA and Tuscaloosa Shooting Sports.

While Brinyark will become the District 16 representative the second the votes are certified, he will be sworn at the start of the upcoming regular legislative session to fill the seat vacated last summer by State Rep. Kyle South, a Republican from Fayette who stepped down from the legislature to become the new president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

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