Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

State Senator District 23 candidate Robert Stewart lived on his campaign slogan, “Restoring Power to the People.”

Robert Stewart beat longtime State Senator Hank Sanders, 8,245 to 6,585 votes with 99 percent of the precincts reported. He won with 56 percent of the vote.

Dallas County voters made their voices heard in the Runoff Election on Tuesday night in the State Senator and Democratic Governor races.

Robert Stewart beat longtime State Senator Hank Sanders, winning 73 percent of the vote. Stewart had 4,571 votes, compared to Sanders’ 1,721 votes.

Current State Senator Malika Sanders-Fortier narrowly beat Yolanda Flowers in Dallas County, getting 51 percent of the vote. Sanders-Fortier finished with 3,022 votes, compared to Flowers’ 2,920 votes.

Flowers defeated Sanders-Fortier overall 32,416 to 26,371 votes with 99 percent of the precincts reported.

Sanders-Fortier was classy Tuesday night, posting a statement on Social Media.

“So grateful for each and every one of you who went out to vote today,” Sanders-Fortier said. “So grateful to be able to run and to meet new people. I love you all.”

With the help of Mark Neely and others, Stewart spent the entire campaign in all eight counties of District 23: Dallas, Perry, Wilcox, Lowndes, Butler, Conecuh, Marengo and Monroe Counties.

Hank Sanders fell short in a bid to win back the senate seat that he held for 35 years, from 1983 until 2018 and succeeded by his daughter, Sanders-Fortier.