The race to succeed Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) won’t be settled for another month after Republicans failed to coalesce around a candidate in Tuesday’s Senate primary in Alabama.Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), backed by President Donald Trump, and ex-Navy SEAL Jared Hudson will advance to a June 16 runoff after failing to clinch an outright majority of the vote. When the race was called, Moore had 39.2% support, while Hudson received 25.6%. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall placed third with 24.5% of the vote.
The field included seven Republicans vying to replace Tuberville, who announced his retirement from the Senate to campaign for governor.
Alabama is a GOP stronghold that Trump won by 30 points in 2024, meaning the eventual nominee is expected to win a Senate term this fall. All of the leading candidates emphasized their support for Trump and promised to advance his agenda in the Senate.
Moore, a three-term congressman, was the first elected official to back Trump’s 2015 run for president, a fact that helped earn him the president’s endorsement. Trump held a tele-rally for Moore on the eve of the primary in a final show of support.
Primary voters were also choosing their nominees for the House on Tuesday night, although the outcome in four districts will be voided as Alabama makes a last-minute bid to redraw its map. The decision came after the Supreme Court handed Republicans a victory on redistricting last month.
