MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday the date for a special election to fill the seat previously held by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, following her appointment as president of the state Public Service Commission.
The general special election to fill Alabama House District 63 will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, and the primary election, Sept. 30, 2025. If no candidate in the primary special election receives more than 50% of the vote, a special primary election runoff will be Oct. 28.
“Rep. Cynthia Almond has served the people of House District 63 with integrity and purpose, and while her presence in the Legislature will be missed, I know her leadership will continue to shine as she steps into this vital statewide role,” Ivey said Monday in a statement.
“Although Rep. Almond leaves big shoes to fill, I am confident that House District 63 will continue to showcase strong leadership and representation in Alabama. I encourage everyone in the district to make their vote count.”
Candidates for major political parties will have until Monday, June 23 at 5 p.m. to file to run for the special election, and independent candidates or candidates representing minor parties, until Sept. 30 at 5 p.m.
Almond had represented the district since 2021, with Bill Poole, now the director of the Alabama Department of Finance, representing the district from 2011 to 2021. For at least 25 years, the district has been comfortably held by Republicans, and is likely to see a competitive Republican primary election. In the 2020 presidential election, Trump won by a margin of nearly 13 points, and in 2024, by nearly 17 points.
Almond was sworn in to lead the Public Service Commission on Monday, and was tapped to fill the vacancy left by Twinkle Cavanaugh, who was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture state director for rural development. Almond will oversee the Public Service Commission’s three-member commission that regulates Alabama’s utilities.