Alabama Rep. Martha Roby defeats challenger in GOP runoff

July 18 (UPI) -- Republican Rep. Martha Roby survived a primary runoff in Alabama on Tuesday, defeating Bobby Bright, a former Democratic congressman who turned conservative.

Roby was vulnerable to a primary challenge because of her stance during the 2016 election when she asserted nominee Donald Trump should step aside after the "Access Hollywood" tape was made public.

Despite the pre-campaign posture, Trump endorsed Roby on Twitter last month and she has been a reliable vote for the president's agenda in the House.

Bright rode on being more of a loyalist to Trump than Roby, who defeated Bright for the seat once before when he was a Democratic Rep. in 2010.

In the June primary, Roby finished with 39 percent support -- below the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff. Bright finished in second place, with 28 percent of the vote.

Roby's campaign has highlighted her voting history, which aligned with Trump 97 percent of the time, including on immigration. She opposes abortion rights endorses the National Rifle Association.