Republican Bradley Byrne wins special congressional race in Alabama

Republican businessman Bradley Byrne told supporters in Alabama he would be heading to Washington within hours after winning a special congressional election. Byrne, who defeated Democrat Burton LeFlore Tuesday, is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 7, AL.com reported. The congressional seat has been vacant since Jo Bonner, R-Ala., resigned to take a job with the state university system. During the victory party at Moe's Original BBQ in Mobile, Byrne said the next few weeks will be hectic. "We have three weeks to organize the congressional office in Washington and down here in the district and get on top of the big issues," he told supporters and campaign staff. "Usually a congressman has two months to do that. We have three weeks with Christmas and New Year's in the middle of it. We have a lot of work to do." Byrne, who lost the Republican primary for governor in 2010, promised to be a "conservative reformer." "Fight hard against the Washington establishment holding our nation back," he said. "We are a great country but we are not acting like a great country in Washington."