WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump endorsed former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl for Alabama’s 1st Congressional District and State Rep. Rhett Marques for the 2nd District Monday ahead of the August special primaries.
Trump previously stayed out of the race involving Carl and Marques for the 1st District seat, but after the districts changed, he is now backing both Republican frontrunners in their new southern Alabama districts for this year’s elections.
The Supreme Court’s Callais decision in April paved the way for the Alabama Legislature to revert back to its original congressional map, allowing Carl and Marques to now run in separate districts that each favor Republicans.
In a Truth Social post, the president said the Mobile Republican has his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to represent the 1st District again.
“A Highly Respected Legislator, and Successful Businessman, Jerry has been an incredible Voice for MAGA, and has been with me from the very beginning!” Trump wrote.
Carl, who previously represented the area in Congress for two terms, vowed to never let Trump down after receiving the endorsement.
“His commitment to putting America First is exactly what our country needs, and I am proud to stand with him in this fight,” Carl said on social media.
I am incredibly honored to receive the official endorsement of President Donald J. Trump! His commitment to putting America First is exactly what our country needs, and I am proud to stand with him in this fight.
Thank you, Mr. President. I will never let you down!
Remember… pic.twitter.com/xsyQwOxotK
— Jerry Carl (@CarlForAlabama) June 22, 2026
In the GOP primary, Carl is set to face Lucas Burger, John Mills and Austin Sidwell. Democrat Clyde Jones Jr. is unopposed. The candidates are hoping to fill the open 1st District seat, vacated by U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, as he runs for U.S. Senate.
Under the Legislature-drawn congressional map, the 1st District encompasses all of Mobile and Baldwin County. Its boundaries are similar to the ones in place when Carl represented the area in the U.S. House.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has also recently endorsed Carl and contributed to his campaign after previously backing Marques in the former AL-01 race. Now, like Trump, Alabama’s soon-to-be senior senator is behind both Republican candidates.
The 1st District is solidly red and if Carl wins the GOP nomination, he is expected to be the heavy favorite to take back the seat in November. The former congressman also has a large fundraising lead over his fellow Republican candidates with about $270,000 in cash on hand, as of April 29.
2nd District
In his endorsement announcement, Trump highlighted that Marques has the support of “many of the Greatest MAGA Warriors in Alabama,” including Britt.
“A Highly Respected State Representative, Businessman, and Civic Leader, prior to running for Congress, Rhett has dedicated his life to serving his Community,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Enterprise Republican thanked the president in a similar vein to Carl.
“I am honored to have your support, and I look forward to delivering on your America First agenda in Congress. AL-02 will never let you down!” he wrote on social media.
Thank you, Mr. President! I am honored to have your support, and I look forward to delivering on your America First agenda in Congress. AL-02 will never let you down! 🇺🇸 @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/ORoSm6ubXT
— Rhett Marques for Alabama (@RhettforAlabama) June 22, 2026
Trump’s foray into the AL-02 race, backing Marques, coincides with new insights suggesting the Wiregrass seat might be more competitive than previously thought.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its ranking of the seat from solid Republican to likely Republican last week, showing there is a path for a Democrat, especially an incumbent, to win the race despite the area voting for Trump in the 2024 election by 14 points.
The winner of the Republican primary, which includes Hampton Harris, Christian Horn, David Matthews, Joshua McKee and James Richardson alongside Marques, will face U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, who is running for reelection in the new 2nd District.
“After redistricting happened, it was clear that this was going to be a very tough race for Shomari Figures, and it remains a tough race,” Erin Covey, House Editor at the Cook Political Report, told Alabama Daily News.
But Covey said the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais ruling could be a “motivating issue” for Democratic voters to head to the polls, potentially giving Figures a boost.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also recently added Figures to its 2026 Frontline Incumbents list, which will provide the congressman with significant resources and fundraising help in his tough reelection bid.
The most recent campaign fundraising filings show Marques had a larger war chest totaling about $469,000 compared to Figures’ $321,000 as of the end of April.
The special primaries for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts are Aug. 11.