2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election

Last updated

2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election
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←  2022 June 24, 2025 2026  →
Turnout8.81% (unofficial)
 
Candidate Matt Woods Ryan Cagle
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote7,7071,238
Percentage86.0%13.8%
2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election results by county.svg
County results
Woods:      80–90%     90–100%
State senator before election

Greg Reed
Republican

Elected state senator

Matt Woods
Republican

The 2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election was held on June 24, 2025, following the scheduled resignation of incumbent Greg Reed to serve as a workforce advisor for Governor Kay Ivey's administration, to elect the state senator from the 5th Senate district. The primary election was held on March 11. State representative Matt Woods won the election with 86% of the vote. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

Incumbent representative Greg Reed resigned on December 31, 2024, to serve as a workforce advisor to the governor. [3] [4] He was selected by Kay Ivey on November 19, 2024. Ivey announced the date of the election on December 31, when Reed's term as advisor began. [5] [6] Candidates had until January 7 to file as a major-party candidate, and March 11 is the deadline to file as an independent or minor-party candidate. [7]

In the 2024 presidential election, this district voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump by a margin of 73.6 points. [8] In the 2022 legislative election, this district voted for incumbent Republican Greg Reed by a margin of 98.4 points, running in the general election unopposed.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Endorsements

Matt Woods

Organizations

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of April 25, 2025
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Matt Woods (R)$348,922$96,960$334,895
Source: Alabama Secretary of State [13]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • Ryan Cagle, minister and farmer [14] [15]

Eliminated in primary

  • Sarah Watkins, caregiver and fast food worker [14] [15]

Forums

2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election forums
No.DateHost Democratic Democratic
Key:
 P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
CagleWatkins
1 [16] February 22—PP

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of April 25, 2025
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Ryan Cagle (D)$4,261$136$4,124
Sarah Watkins (D)$160$2$157
Source: Alabama Secretary of State [13]

Results

Results by county: Cagle 60-70% 80-90% Watkins 60-70% 2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special Democratic primary results by county.svg
Results by county:
  Cagle
  •   60–70%
  •   80–90%
  Watkins
  •   60–70%

The Democratic primary saw only 360 ballots cast out of 101,577 registered voters, resulting in a turnout of only 0.35%. [17] As no Democratic candidate filed to run in the last election for this district in 2022, there was no primary.

Democratic primary (unofficial results) [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ryan Cagle 222 61.84
Democratic Sarah Watkins13738.16
Total votes359 100.00

General election

Results

2025 Alabama Senate District 5 special election unofficial results [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Matt Woods 7,707 86.00% −13.19%
Democratic Ryan Cagle1,23813.81%New
Write-in 170.19%−0.62%
Total votes8,962 100.00
Turnout 8,9638.81%
Registered electors 101,745
Results by town [20]
TownWoodsCagleTotal
Fayette 1,01490.29%1099.71%1,123
Jefferson 32592.59%267.41%351
Lamar 88594.35%535.65%938
Tuscaloosa 93187.91%12812.09%1,059
Walker 4,55283.16%92216.84%5,474

References

  1. ↑ "Republican Matt Woods wins Senate seat District 5 in special election". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Chance. "ElectionsMatt Woods wins special election in Alabama Senate District 5". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed to take job with Gov. Kay Ivey". Alabama Reflector. November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Alabama Sen. Greg Reed appointed as senior advisor of workforce transformation in Gov. Ivey's administration". CBS 42. November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Governor Ivey Adds to Team, Appoints Greg Reed as Senior Advisor to Workforce Transformation". The Office of Alabama Governor. November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Governor Ivey Calls Special Election for Alabama Senate District Five". The Office fo Alabama Governor. December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  7. ↑ Goffin, Isaac (December 31, 2024). "Special election dates for Alabama Senate District 5 seat set". CBS 42. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Alabama 2022 State Senate - 2024 presidential election". Dave's Redistricting . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ "State Rep. Woods to seek Greg Reed's soon-to-be-vacated State Senate District 5 seat". 1819 News. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Matt Woods named GOP nominee for Senate District 5". Alabama Political Reporter. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ "AFA announces its endorsement of Matt Woods for Alabama Senate District 5". Alabama Political Reporter. March 18, 2025. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  12. ↑ "BCA endorses Matt Woods in Senate District 5 special election". Alabama Political Reporter. January 31, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  13. 1 2 "2025 SD5 Special Election". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  14. 1 2 "One Republican, two Democrats qualify for Alabama Senate District 5 Special Election". Alabama Reflector. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  15. 1 2 Sell, Mary (January 8, 2025). "Field set for special state Senate race; Woods is GOP nominee". Alabama Daily News. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Watkins, Cagle speak at Democratic Primary forum". Daily Mountain Eagle. February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Voter turnout shock: only 0.35% of registered voters in Senate District 5 cast ballots". ABC 33/40 News. March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  18. ↑ "SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION - SENATE DISTRICT 5 Statewide Results". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  19. ↑ "SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION - SENATE DISTRICT 5 Statewide Results". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  20. ↑ "New Hampshire State House Strafford 12 Special Election General". Decision Desk HQ . Retrieved May 7, 2025.

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