State Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, announced this week that he won’t run for reelection in 2026, creating a second open seat in the 35-member chamber.
Incumbents won’t have to officially declare until later this year when the parties open qualifying, but there could be at least one other open seat.
“I’m undecided,” Senate stalwart Jabo Waggoner told Alabama Daily News on Wednesday. “I haven’t made any sort of decision, it’s up in the air right now.”
Waggoner, 88, is the longest-serving member of the Legislature, elected to the House in 1966. He served several terms there, took a break for a few years, and is now in his eighth term in the Senate.
He’s the chairman of the powerful Senate Rules Committee, which sets the chamber’s daily calendar of bills to consider. His Senate District 16 includes portions of Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Waggoner’s district is solidly Republican and he hasn’t had a GOP challenger in decades. Should he run again, he has more than $440,000 in his campaign account.
Across the aisle, Democratic Sen. Billy Beasley, age 85 and a lawmaker since 1998, told ADN Wednesday he’s running, “as far as I know.”
“I want to run,” Beasley said.
As for Butler, next year will wrap up a political career that began in the Alabama House in 1982. He’s served a total of six terms in the Senate since the mid-1990s. Senate District 2 includes portions of Madison and Limestone counties.
Republican John Roberts of Madison County announced today his candidacy for the seat. Roberts, a commercial real estate developer, ran for the open Congressional District Five seat in 2022 and came in third in a six-man GOP primary.
“It’s time to build on our momentum as a state and create a future where Alabama leads, not follows,” Roberts, a native of Hartselle, said. “I want to see a state where hard work is rewarded, families are supported, and our children inherit a place they’re proud to call home.”
2 vie for open seat in south Alabama
Two Republicans are raising money in Senate District 34 in northern Mobile County, which Sen. Jack Williams, R-Wilmer, is giving up to run for state agriculture commissioner.
Former lawmaker Rusty Glover, a Republican from Semmes, has raised more than $20,000 and spent about half of that early in his campaign. Glover previously served three terms in the Senate and one in the Alabama House. He’s a former teacher. In 2022, he ran for state auditor.
Doug Harwell, also of Semmes, has raised nearly $76,000 in May and June, according to campaign finance reports. He owns a concrete and asphalt contracting company and is a former Mobile County Board of Education member, serving nearly 12 years.
Some contested primary races expected, including SD10
Two-term Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, is running for reelection and has two announced GOP challengers.
Jesse Battles is from Etowah County and previously worked for the Alabama Secretary of State. Amy Dozier Minton of Rainbow City has been involved in GOP politics on the county and state levels and was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey to the Alabama Public Library Services Board.
Senate District 10 includes Etowah and Cherokee counties and southern DeKalb County. Jones is the current chair of the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee, which had an especially newsworthy 2025 session.
So far this year, Jones has raised more than $91,000 and had more than $317,000 on hand at the end of June.
The 2026 primary elections are May 19.