Elections in Alabama |
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Government |
United States Senate elections in Alabama occur when voters in the U.S. state of Alabama select an individual to represent the state in the United States Senate in either of the state's two seats allotted by the Constitution. Regularly scheduled general elections occur on Election Day, coinciding with various other federal, statewide, and local races.
Each state is allotted two U.S. Senators elected to staggered six-year terms, which were originally selected by the state legislature. The Senate is divided into three classes to stagger the terms of its members such that one-third of the Senate would be up for re-election every two years. Upon Alabama's admission to the Union in 1819, the state was assigned a Class 2 seat and a Class 3 seat, first elected in 1819. Since the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, U.S. Senators are elected directly by the voters of each state. Special elections may be held to fill mid-term vacancies to elect an individual to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
The list below contains results from all U.S. Senate elections held in Alabama after the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment, sorted by year. The next scheduled election for the Class 2 seat is in 2026, while the Class 3 seat will hold its next election in 2028.
Year | Winner | Runner(s)-up | Others | Ref | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||
1914 (sp) | Francis S. White | Democratic | 102,326 | 99.94% | Scattered | Write-in | 58 | 0.06% | [22] | ||||
1914 | Oscar Underwood | Democratic | 163,338 | 90.20% | Alex C. Birch | Republican | 12,320 | 6.80% | 4,263 | 2.35% | [23] | ||
1920 | Oscar Underwood | Democratic | 154,664 | 66.10% | L. H. Reynolds | Republican | 77,337 | 33.05% | 1,984 | 0.85% | [2] | ||
1926 | Hugo Black | Democratic | 91,801 | 80.87% | Edmund H. Dryer | Republican | 21,712 | 19.13% | [24] | ||||
1932 | Hugo Black | Democratic | 209,614 | 86.25% | J. Theodore Johnson | Republican | 33,425 | 13.75% | [25] | ||||
1938 (sp) | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 49,429 | 100.00% | [26] | ||||||||
1938 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 113,413 | 86.38% | J. M. Pennington | Republican | 17,885 | 13.62% | 1 | 0.00% | [27] | ||
1944 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 202,604 | 81.78% | John Posey | Republican | 41,983 | 16.95% | 3,162 | 1.28% | [28] | ||
1950 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 125,534 | 76.54% | John G. Crommelin | Independent | 38,477 | 23.46% | [29] | ||||
1956 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 330,182 | 100.00% | [30] | ||||||||
1962 | J. Lister Hill | Democratic | 201,937 | 50.86% | James D. Martin | Republican | 195,134 | 49.14% | [31] | ||||
1968 | James Allen | Democratic | 638,774 | 69.99% | Perry Hooper Sr. | Republican | 201,227 | 22.05% | [32] | ||||
Robert P. Schwenn | National Democratic | 72,699 | 7.97% | ||||||||||
1974 | James Allen | Democratic | 501,541 | 95.84% | Alvin Abercrombie | Prohibition | 21,749 | 4.16% | [33] | ||||
1978 (sp) | Donald Stewart | Democratic | 401,852 | 55.06% | James D. Martin | Republican | 316,170 | 43.32% | 11,820 | 1.62% | [34] | ||
1980 | Jeremiah Denton | Republican | 650,362 | 50.15% | Jim Folsom Jr. | Democratic | 610,175 | 47.05% | 36,220 | 2.79% | [35] | ||
1986 | Richard Shelby | Democratic | 609,360 | 50.28% | Jeremiah Denton | Republican | 602,537 | 49.72% | 56 | 0.00% | [36] | ||
1992 | Richard Shelby | Democratic | 1,022,698 | 64.82% | Richard Sellers | Republican | 522,015 | 33.08% | 33,086 | 2.10% | [37] | ||
1998 | Richard Shelby | Republican | 817,973 | 63.24% | Clayton Suddith | Democratic | 474,568 | 36.69% | 864 | 0.07% | [38] | ||
2004 | Richard Shelby | Republican | 1,242,200 | 67.55% | Wayne Sowell | Democratic | 595,018 | 32.35% | 1,848 | 0.10% | [39] | ||
2010 | Richard Shelby | Republican | 968,181 | 65.18% | William G. Barnes | Democratic | 515,619 | 34.71% | 1,699 | 0.11% | [40] | ||
2016 | Richard Shelby | Republican | 1,335,104 | 63.96% | Ron Crumpton | Democratic | 748,709 | 35.87% | 3,631 | 0.17% | [41] | ||
2022 | Katie Britt | Republican | 942,154 | 66.62% | Will Boyd | Democratic | 436,746 | 30.88% | 35,338 | 2.50% | [42] |
The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.
The 1986 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate. Held on November 4, in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term, the 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. The Republicans had to defend an unusually large number of freshman Senate incumbents who had been elected on President Ronald Reagan's coattails in 1980. Democrats won a net of eight seats, defeating seven freshman incumbents, picking up two Republican-held open seats, and regaining control of the Senate for the first time since January 1981. This remains the most recent midterm election cycle in which the sitting president's party suffered net losses while still flipping a Senate seat.
The 1984 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of President Ronald Reagan in the presidential election. In spite of the lopsided presidential race, Reagan's Republican Party suffered a net loss of two Senate seats to the Democrats, although it retained control of the Senate with a reduced 53-47 majority. Democrats defeated incumbents in Illinois and Iowa, and won an open seat in Tennessee, while Republicans defeated an incumbent in Kentucky.
The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.
The 1972 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of Republican President Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon's landslide victory, Democrats increased their majority by two seats. The Democrats picked up open seats in Kentucky and South Dakota, and defeated four incumbent senators: Gordon Allott of Colorado, J. Caleb Boggs of Delaware, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Margaret Chase Smith of Maine. The Republicans picked up open seats in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and defeated one incumbent, William B. Spong Jr. of Virginia.
The 1952 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to the presidency by a large margin. The 32 Senate seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections, and three special elections were held to fill vacancies. The Republicans took control of the Senate by managing to make a net gain of two seats. However, Wayne Morse (R-OR) became an independent forcing Republicans to rely on Vice President Richard Nixon's tie-breaking vote, although Republicans maintained a 48-47-1 plurality. Throughout the next Congress, Republicans were able to restore their 49-46-1 majority. This was the third time, as well as second consecutive, in which a sitting Senate leader lost his seat.
The 1924 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the election of Republican President Calvin Coolidge to a full term. The 32 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections, and special elections were held to fill vacancies. The strong economy and Coolidge's popularity helped Republican candidates increase their majority by three. Republicans would gain a further two seats through mid-term vacancies bringing their seat share to 56-39-1.
The 1916 United States Senate elections were elections that coincided with the re-election of President Woodrow Wilson. This was the first election since the enactment of the Seventeenth Amendment that all 32 Class 1 Senators were selected by direct or popular elections instead of state legislatures. Republicans gained a net of two seats from the Democrats, and then a furthered seat through mid-term vacancies thereby reducing Democrats to a 53-43 majority.
The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama were held on November 4, 2008, to determine the representation of the state of Alabama in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 111th Congress from January 4, 2009, until January 3, 2011.
The 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 4, 1980, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Donald Stewart, elected in a special election to finish the term of the seat left vacant by the death of Senator James B. Allen, decided to run for a full term, but was defeated in the primary by Jim Folsom. In November, Folsom narrowly lost the general election to Republican Jeremiah Denton.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Alabama, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2020 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Alabama, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.
The 1942 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 3, 1942. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel was re-elected to a second term.
The 1930 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 4, 1930. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Morris Sheppard was re-elected to a fourth term in office, easily dispatching his challengers.
The 1940 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Connally was re-elected to his third term in office, with only minor opposition in the Democratic primary and general elections.
The 1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1978. It was a special election to fill the seat which had been held by Senator Jim Allen, who died on June 1. His widow Maryon was appointed on June 8 by governor George Wallace to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the seven U.S. representatives from the state of Alabama, one from each of the state's seven congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.