April Weaver narrowly escaped a runoff June 1 as she took 53 percent of the vote to win the Alabama House District 49 seat.

Weaver, who serves as the Shelby Baptist Medical Center director of business development, will replace Cam Ward, who ran unopposed to fill the State Senate District 14 seat, which was vacated by Hank Erwin.

“I certainly have some big shoes to fill,” Weaver said of replacing Ward. “I am very excited to work with Cam and to work to make sure our district is represented.

“I want to be a representative for all of District 49,” she added.

Weaver credited her grassroots approach to her victory, saying she and her campaign workers knocked on 6,000 to 7,000 doors.

Unofficially, Weaver received 3,346 votes, while Alabaster City Council President Jim McClain received 1,587 votes, or 25 percent.

As numbers trickled in late Tuesday evening, McClain said he was hoping for a runoff, but he never got the votes he needed to force the runoff.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” McClain said. “I’m disappointed with the voter turnout because it was a lot less than we thought it was going to be. But it is what it is.”

James Lee was next with 794 votes, or 13 percent, while Jack Gray had 555 votes, or 9 percent of the vote.

Weaver credited her opposition for running clean campaigns, and she said the entire campaign shows just how great District 49 is.

“We’re all in this for the betterment of our community,” Weaver said.