MONTGOMERY, Ala. — New polling shows Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Moore has a 15-point lead over Democratic nominee Everett Wess in the race for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat.
An Alabama Daily News and Gray Television poll of 500 likely general election voters found that nearly 50% would support Moore if the election were held today, compared to 35% who plan to vote for Wess. About 15% of Alabama voters remain undecided in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
Moore has consolidated much of the GOP base, with 88% of Republican respondents backing the Enterprise congressman. The poll shows 22% of independent voters plan to support Moore, along with 3% of Democrats.
Wess has the support of 88% of surveyed Democrats, but he pulls more of the independent voters than Moore, with 49% of those voters planning to support the Birmingham attorney. About 3% of Republicans are behind the Democratic nominee.
In Birmingham, Moore has a 20-point lead over Wess, with 54% of voters in that area supporting Moore compared to 34% for Wess. Twelve percent of Birmingham voters are undecided.
The Republican nominee has an even larger lead in Huntsville at 52%, while Wess sits at 26%. About 21% of those surveyed in Huntsville remain undecided in the Senate race.
The two candidates are nearly tied in Montgomery, with voters in the capital city region backing Moore at 43% and Wess at 42%, according to the poll.
Inflation and the cost of living remain a top concern for Alabama voters this year. Among voters who said those issues were most important ahead of the midterms, 38% said they would support Moore compared to 43% who plan to vote for Wess.
Among voters who named illegal immigration and border security as their top issues, Moore has a commanding lead at 88% compared to Wess at 3% and 9% undecided.
Wess saw more support than Moore among voters who cited corruption in politics as their top concern, at 53% and 40%, respectively.
Black voters overwhelmingly plan to vote for Wess in the Senate election, with 73% behind him. About 22% of white voters plan to vote for the Democratic nominee, according to the poll.
About 65% of white voters surveyed plan to vote for Moore, compared to 6% of Black voters. In the gubernatorial race, Tuberville polled slightly better with Black voters than Moore, with 11% supporting him. Former Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones has the support of 79% of Black voters in the gubernatorial race, according to the poll.
The statewide poll was conducted on Oct. 16 and 17 with a margin of error of ±4.38%.
The general election is Nov. 3.