Alabama Republicans appear to have lost four legislative seats with another too close to call, but will maintain their supermajorities in the House and Senate.
The losses were especially acute in north Alabama, where Democrats flipped two Senate seats and one House seat amid demographic changes in the Huntsville area.
Alabama also made history in Tuesday’s election sending the state’s first transgender lawmaker to Montgomery.
Senate District 2
Democrat Rudolph Valentino Drake flipped the eastern Limestone County and western Madison County seat blue, defeating Republican John Roberts. The race was open this year after long-serving Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, opted not to seek reelection.
Drake secured 56% of the vote, or 34,585 votes, compared to Roberts at 44%, or 27,130 votes, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s office.
Drake has served in the Navy and as a Department of Defense police officer.
Senate District 7
Democrat Jared Sluss narrowly defeated incumbent Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville.
Unofficial results show Sluss, a housing program coordinator, earned 50.45%, or 30,255 votes. Givhan secured 49.49% or 29,678 votes.
Givhan has represented the district since 2018.
The Associated Press has yet to call the race.
Senate District 10
Independent candidate Jesse Battles narrowly leads Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, by 84 votes in the race for Senate District 10, according to unofficial election results.
Battles has received 49.89%, or 20,067 votes, and Jones got 49.68%, or 19,983 votes.
“Tuesday night’s vote margin appears to be within the threshold for an automatic recount,” Jones said in a social media post. “Additionally, it is my understanding that there are a good number of provisional ballots still to be reviewed.”
“The principle of “one person, one vote” has always been the backbone of our democratic system. I ask for your patience as every vote is counted and as we ensure that no mistakes were made.”
The Associated Press has yet to call the race.
House District 15
Democrat Nell Brown defeated incumbent Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, winning 51.19% of the 21,569 votes cast, according to unofficial election results on the Secretary of State’s website.
Brown posted a short statement on her Facebook page, saying, “Thank you District 15. We did it.”
House District 25
Democrat Allison Montgomery defeated incumbent Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Huntsville, becoming Alabama’s first transgender state lawmaker.
Montgomery won 53% of the 23,400 votes cast in the Madison and Limestone counties district.
Rigsby has served one term in the Alabama House.
Reaction from leadership
Despite the loses, Republicans will maintain their supermajorities in both the House and Senate. That amounts to 24 of the Senate’s 35 seats and 74 of the House’s 105 seats.
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger said his goal was to preserve that majority despite the national “political headwinds.”
“Thanks to the wisdom of voters across Alabama, our mission was accomplished, so now it is time to turn attention toward abolishing the grocery tax once and for all, making everyday costs more affordable, and providing an even better quality of life for every man, woman, and child in our state.”
Gudger’s FORGE PAC spent $1.8 million supporting reelection efforts for incumbent Senators.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said Republican members were forced to overcome national factors beyond their control, and all but two were reelected.
“Like the rest of the country, Alabama Republicans found themselves in some very tightly contested races last night, especially down the ballot,” Ledbetter said. “I am proud to say that 91% of incumbent Alabama House Republicans prevailed. We also won all seats previously held by outgoing Republican members. The House Republican supermajority stands strong at 74 members, and we will continue wielding that mandate to move our state forward.
“Our performance speaks to the quality of House Republican members and the work they have done to improve our state over the last four years. Phillip Rigsby and Leigh Hulsey played integral roles in those efforts, and I wish them the very best in their next chapters.