Alabama will have a new U.S. senator in 2027 and at least one new — maybe former — congressman.
Here are how the fields stand after some major campaign kickoffs in recent days.
Congressional District 1
Former Congressman Jerry Carl, a Republican from Mobile, officially kicked off Monday his bid to reclaim the Alabama Congressional District 1 seat he held for two terms.
“Rooted in faith, family and a deep commitment to service, this decision reflects the shared desire of our district to advance President Trump’s America First agenda, while bringing integrity and accountability to Washington,” Carl said on social media Monday. “As your Congressman, I will continue to fight to keep our borders secure, slash wasteful spending, and stand against any attempts to infringe upon our constitutional rights.”
The south Alabama congressional seat is open in 2026 because current Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, is now running for U.S. Senate. Carl lost the seat to Moore last year in a rare GOP incumbent battle when redistricting took Moore out of his previous District 2 and put him in Carl’s District 1.
Carl is currently the only announced candidate for that seat, but more names may be added to the list soon. Alabama Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise, earlier this month told Alabama Daily News he was thinking about a congressional bid, should Moore leave the post. On Monday, he said he’s still “strongly considering” it.
U.S. Senate
Moore announced his U.S. Senate bid last week and held a kickoff party in north Alabama on Friday. He’s a frontrunner in a field that now includes four Republicans and five Democrats.
East Alabama Republican Rodney Walker also kicked off his campaign last week.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall was the first to announce his Senate bid earlier this year, and late-July polling by the firm Cygnal showed him was an early lead, but more than 50% of voters were still undecided.
Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL, rounds out the GOP primary field, so far.
Republicans will have a Jan. 23 deadline to qualify with the state party next year. The primary is May 16.
For the Democrats’ primary ballot, five candidates have so far filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump supporter, announced his candidacy in April. Dakarai Larriett, Mark Wheeler, Valma Glasgow and James Howard Jr. have also filed with the FEC.
Sweetser, Larriett and Wheeler received campaign contributions prior to the July quarterly reporting deadline.
The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.
Other congressional delegation incumbents with possible primary or general election opposition, so far, include:
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, in Congressional District 3 with Republicans Terri LaPoint and Draic Coakley;
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, in Congressional District 4 with Republican Thomas Barnes and Democrat Amanda Pusczek;
Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, could face one of several Democrats in Congressional District 5: Andrew Sneed, Candice Duvieilh, Jeremy Devito and Greg Howard Jr.;
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, in Congressional District 6 has a GOP opponent, Case Dixon, and a Democrat, Keith Pilkington.