Voters in Alabama are casting ballots Tuesday in a Republican runoff to determine who will compete for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat in November’s general election.
Three-term U.S. Representative Barry Moore is squaring off against former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson for the Republican nomination. The seat became available after Sen. Tommy Tuberville stepped down to pursue the governorship. Moore carries the backing of President Donald Trump, while Hudson is running as a Washington outsider.
Trump’s endorsed candidates have largely come out on top in Republican primaries throughout the year, though his pick for Iowa governor fell short earlier this month. The Alabama contest represents yet another measure of how much weight the president’s endorsement carries.
Moore, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, finished ahead in the first round of voting back in May, capturing nearly 40% of the vote compared to Hudson’s 25%. Moore was an early supporter of Trump’s first presidential run, and Trump has since returned the favor.
“Barry Moore has my complete and total endorsement. He’s the best America First candidate you can imagine,” Trump said recently.
Hudson has positioned himself as the anti-establishment choice, criticizing Moore’s deep ties to Washington while vowing to serve as “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”
“If you want the same thing over and over again, elect a career politician. If you want different results, somebody who can take your issues to Washington and not bring the stupidity of Washington back here to you, send a warrior to Washington,” Hudson said at a candidate forum in May.
Hudson earned his runoff spot by narrowly beating out Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in the initial primary.
Moore has leaned heavily on his voting record in Congress, pointing to Trump’s endorsement and a high score from a conservative group that grades lawmakers based on their votes. He argues that while many candidates claim to support Trump, his record speaks for itself.
“Look at my record, the most conservative member in the Alabama delegation, an ally of the president,” Moore said. “The president has endorsed me because he’s seen me in the fire. I never bow down.”
Hudson, for his part, has joked that he may not have a legislative scorecard, but he has racked up a strong record “against the Taliban in over 60 combat operations.”
On the Democratic side, attorney Everett Wess and business owner Dakarai Larriett are competing in their own runoff. Wess led the first primary round with 39% of the vote to Larriett’s 29%. Democrats believe that voter frustration over inflation and other issues could give them a foothold in a state where Republicans currently hold every statewide office.
Wess is the managing partner of The Wess Law Firm and has previously served as a municipal judge, city prosecutor, and public defender. His legal work focuses mainly on estate planning and criminal defense.
“Families throughout Alabama are struggling with inflation, housing costs, high gas bills, high utility bills and these everyday expenses,” Wess said during an online forum hosted by Birmingham Indivisible.
Larriett owns a pet care business and said he was driven to enter the race following a 2023 encounter with police in Michigan in which he claims he was wrongfully arrested.
“We can and we must nominate a fighter, a Democratic fighter, for the United States Senate, someone who represents our values,” Larriett said at the forum. He added that the party needs a candidate who “takes reproductive health seriously” and will “fight like hell” for voting rights.
Tuesday’s ballot also includes competitive runoffs for attorney general and lieutenant governor. Secretary of State Wes Allen and former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl are battling for the GOP lieutenant governor nomination, with the winner set to face Democrat Phillip Ensler in November.
In the attorney general’s race, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell faces Katherine Robertson, who currently serves as chief counsel to Attorney General Marshall. Mitchell has criticized Robertson over the attorney general office’s early work defending the conviction of a police officer charged with manslaughter in an on-duty shooting. Robertson has responded by labeling Mitchell a “woke lawyer.” The winner will face Democrat Jeff McLaughlin in November.
Additionally, Andrew Sneed and Candice Duvieilh are in a Democratic runoff for the 5th Congressional District nomination. The winner will face Republican Rep. Dale Strong, who was first elected in 2022.
Alabama is also holding special congressional primaries in August after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the state to use a redrawn congressional map for the midterms. The new map could give Republicans a shot at reclaiming the 2nd Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures — a race that could factor into the broader national fight for control of the closely divided House.
Alabama is among several Southern states that redrew their congressional maps and eliminated districts represented by Black Democrats following a Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act.
