Rep. Barry Moore will face off against former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in a runoff election for the Republican nomination for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who initially led the Republican field to fill Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s seat, came in third. Tuberville is running for governor.
Buoyed by President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Moore secured 39.2% of the primary vote, or 188,825 votes. Hudson earned 123,533 votes, or 25.6%, and Marshall earned 118,233 votes, or 24.5%.
The Associated Press called the race Wednesday afternoon after Hudson and Marshall were in a hard-fought battle for the second-place spot throughout much of the primary night.
Hudson started as the race’s dark horse, but gained momentum in the final month of the campaign.
Hours before the race was called, Hudson declared his spot in the runoff, posting on social media that “You showed that the DC money is going to have to punch a lot harder if they want to stop this grassroots movement.”
Marshall thanked his family and campaign supporters saying he was honored to have the backing of so many.
“Although I’m disappointed in the outcome, I’m proud of what this campaign stood for: strong Christian values and true conservative principles,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing my work as Attorney General, building on my proven track record and delivering real wins for the people of Alabama.”
Moore is backed by large outside spending groups, such as a pro-crypto super PAC and the Club for Growth, whose funds fueled ads raising his name recognition beyond his south Alabama congressional district.
The Enterprise Republican saw significant support from his home region, the Wiregrass, winning by huge margins in Coffee (75%), Dale (67%) and Houston (71%) counties. Moore also won a plurality in the northern part of the state and in Alabama’s coastal counties.
but Moore also made headway in North Alabama Tuesday.
Hudson’s stronghold was in Jefferson County, where he won 45% of the vote in the state’s most populous county. He also won surrounding Shelby (37%), St. Clair (35%), Blount (46%), Cullman (38%) and Tuscaloosa (34%) counties.
Businessman Rodney Walker, one of the other GOP candidates vying for the seat, endorsed Moore on Wednesday.
“Rodney’s endorsement is a sign that our campaign is bringing conservatives together to win this race and that we are building a coalition that’s ready to make Washington a little more like Alabama,” Moore said.
The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is also headed to a runoff election. Birmingham attorney Everett Wess and criminal justice advocate Dakarai Larriett will face off in June. Wess led the Democratic field, winning 40% of the vote, followed by Larriett, who garnered 29%.
The runoff will take place June 16.