The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Alabama voters won’t lack for choices in the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
Ten candidates have qualified to run for the seat currently held by Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.
Aside from former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’ tenure from 2017 to 2021, the seat has been held by Republicans for the past 30 years.
Republican candidates
The Republicans seeking the nomination are Seth Burton, a U.S. Navy veteran; Dale Deas Jr., a cardiac surgeon; Jared Hudson, a U.S. Navy SEAL; Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall; U.S. Congressman Barry Moore, R-Enterprise and Rodney Walker, a businessman from Lineville.
A poll commissioned by Alabama Daily News showed Moore leading the primary with 23% of the vote, followed by Hudson with 19% and Marshall with 14%. However, the poll also found 40% had not yet decided who to support.
Burton, Hudson, Marshall and Moore did not return messages seeking comment. There isn’t much difference in policy from Republican candidates. A majority of them have border security as a top priority along with backing law enforcement and protecting the 2nd Amendment.
Moore has been leaning into his support from President Donald Trump and his website states that some of his top priorities include backing law enforcement, protecting the 2nd Amendment and improving the economy.
“The riots that tore our nation apart in 2020 are the direct result of radical left antifa organizations,” the website said. “State and federal law enforcement must prioritize prosecuting these groups, along with other violent criminals who threaten our families.”
Hudson’s priorities include putting Alabama workers first, crushing the “woke agenda,” and securing the border.
“We cannot allow any city, county or state in America to violate federal law and offer ‘sanctuary’ to illegals and criminals. I will fight to strip away every last dime of federal funding from every so-called ‘sanctuary city’ from coast to coast,” Hudson’s website said.
Marshall’s priorities are similar to his opponents while also including abortion restrictions, lowering healthcare costs and giving states control of education.
“Competition between healthcare providers will decrease costs, expand options and ensure that pre-existing conditions are not an obstacle for quality care. We must move away from a government solution that has failed and return to the free-market where companies are competing across state lines for your business,” his website said.
Moore, Marshall and Burton said on their websites that “protecting women’s sports” is a priority as well. Another common priority was “Stand with President Donald Trump.”
Walker said in an interview Monday he’s running because business men need to step up.
“I believe strongly that if business leaders don’t step up, like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington meant for them to do and take back over our country, we’re not going to have any businesses left, and we’re not going to have a country because people don’t understand how to run the country,” he said.
Walker, a small business owner from Lineville, said his top three priorities for this race are infrastructure, term limits and bringing the pharmaceutical industry back to America.
“I think that we have too many bureaucrats that’s in Washington D.C. that have been there for 40 years or whatever, and they’re getting nothing done, and they’re not doing nothing for their state, and we just need to replace those people,” he said.
Deas said one of his priorities is healthcare reform “including lowering insurance costs.” His other priorities include affordability and addressing corruption.
Walker said voters should choose him because he’d “bring home the bacon” to Alabama.
“I think that people want somebody that’s going to look out after all the citizens of the state, rather than their own pocketbooks. If they sent me to Washington, I will do just that,” he said.
Deas said voters should cast their ballots for him because he won’t back down to lobbyists and major corporations.
“Lobbyists represent one side of the coin and the other side of the coin are the people,” he said. “And because I’m not bought and paid for, I can take on Alabama Power and Blue Cross and Blue Shield and all of these other people because I don’t care what they think.”
Democratic candidates
Alabama Democrats will choose between four first-time candidates during the May 19 primary.
Dakarai Larriett, a business owner; Kyle Sweetser, who is campaigning full-time; Everett Wess, an attorney and Mark Wheeler, a chemist, are all seeking the party’s nomination.
Sweetser, a former Republican, said Monday he’s running to combat GOP dominance in the state.
“We can look at history here in Alabama, there hasn’t been anyone that’s been able to really fight back against these MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans,” he said.
Larriett and Weiss have criticized Sweetser for voting for President Donald Trump in the past. Larriett also launched an ad campaign in March which attacked Sweetser for his Republican voting history.
“There was not a proper screening of Kyle Sweetser. Kyle Sweetser voted for Donald Trump three times, three times, and that is disqualifying as a Democrat. It shows that you simply don’t have the empathy and discernment,” he said in an interview Monday.
Sweetser said Monday he voted for Trump in the 2016 primary, and the 2016 and 2020 general elections, but left from the Republican Party after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and became a Democrat.
“This is the hardest path that I chose,” he said. “I think it’s so important in our state that we have a functioning two-party system. So really, at the core of what I’m doing is really the hope and the focus to rebuild a competitive two party system so we can have true accountability in our state.”
Larriett, a business owner from Birmingham, said his campaign stemmed from an encounter with police officers in Michigan two years ago. Larriett alleged in a lawsuit filed in 2024 that two Michigan State Police Troopers arrested him for intoxication despite passing two field sobriety tests. Larriett also alleged the officers attempted to plant drugs on him. Michigan State Police told CBS News in 2024 that they were conducting an internal investigation but denied Larriett’s claim of drugs being planted.
The 2024 lawsuit was dismissed by a court and Larriett filed an additional lawsuit last April that was closed in February after the court affirmed the dismissal.
“I started speaking out about it, and started writing my own laws to protect all drivers, and I called it the Motorist Bill of Rights, and it’s available on my website,” he said. “I just realized I need a seat at the table to actually write the laws to protect all Americans.”
Wess said he’s running to make a change in the country because he didn’t like what he was seeing in the government.
“I wanted to run to make a difference for my grandchildren and my grandchildren’s children, and hopefully by then, there’ll be a better political climate than what we’re experiencing right now,” he said.
Wheeler, a chemist from Heflin, said he’s running for the Senate seat because he knows what the working class has gone through.
“I grew up poor, about as poor as it gets, even for Alabama,” he said in a phone interview Monday. “We grew up wholly dependent on Social Security, which does not pay a lot. And me becoming an adult and trying to become a working professional, the transition from poverty to working professional is so obscenely ridiculous. And to me, that doesn’t really paint the picture of the American dream.”
Priorities for the Democratic candidates don’t have much overlap. Wess and Larriett both said education is one of their top priorities.
“Education breaks the poverty cycle and we must make teacher pay advantageous so that we get the best quality teachers who invest in our kids, and we need a strong Department of Education that ensures that there’s not discrimination in places of learning,” Larriett said.
Sweetser said he wants to put limits on what the executive branch can do as a result of the current administration’s work.
“The president now has unlimited power. He has the ability to do whatever he wants. That puts us in a scary place,” he said.
Wheeler said he also wants to implement term limits.
“My first top, most important priority, is putting a 12-year limit on the House of Representatives, and the Senate, and then an 18 year term limit on the Supreme Court. Doing that will fix a myriad of issues ongoing,” he said.
Larriett said voters should choose him because of his experience in different careers.
“In education, serving on the board of the University of Alabama Alumni Association. In healthcare, I served public health from addressing the HIV epidemic to addiction issues and then economic opportunity. I have 20 years in corporate America, creating jobs, bringing people together and solving complex problems in a non-partisan way,” he said.
Sweetser argued that he should get voters’ support because he’s the only candidate who is working to win the vote of the opposite party.
“In Alabama, we have to win over 200,000 Republican voters,” he said. “As someone that has escaped that Republican tribalism, I’m uniquely equipped to try to break through to these folks and to unify and heal folks here in the state of Alabama, that way we can push for true progress.”
Wess said if he wins the primary, he would bring legal experience to the job.
“I think there are constitutional challenges, there are questions about whether or not we need to make amendments to the Constitution and I think that’s important. I think we need someone that’s learned in the law as our Senator,” he said.
Wheeler said voters should cast their ballots for him because he knows what it’s like to be a part of the working class.
“I’m the only one that has ever worked 60, 72 or 84 hour weeks in a factory. I’m the only one that grew up only dependent on food stamps and housing assistance and Social Security,” he said. “I understand the value of those social programs. And I know what it’s like to make that transition from poverty to working class American.”
Funding
According to campaign filings, Republicans are out-raising Democrats in the race. The report shows as of Wednesday afternoon, Moore has raised the most money at $2.5 million and has spent $2.1 million.
Filings also show that Walker has raised $2 million and spent the same amount; Hudson has raised $1.5 million and spent $1 million; Marshall has raised $1.3 and spent $920,000 and Burton has raised the least of the GOP candidates at just over $67,000 and spent $58,374.
No financial information for Deas appears on the FEC website. Deas said Wednesday he has not raised or spent $5,000, the threshold for filing campaign finance reports with the federal agency.
Sweetser is leading the Democrats in funds raised at $159,000 and he has spent $153,000. Larriett has raised just over $136,000 and spent $126,500; Wess has raised $43,700 and spent $42,400 and Wheeler has raised $17,100 and spent $16,759.
How to Vote
The last day to apply for an absentee ballot to mail is May 14, and the last day to apply for an absentee ballot in person is May 14. The last day to hand-deliver an absentee ballot is May 18. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Polling locations can be found here.
Meet the Candidates
Dale Deas Jr.
Residence: Hoover Occupation: Cardiac Surgeon Education: M.D. from UAB Party: Republican Offices held/offices sought: First-time candidate Campaign fundraising: No filings as of Wednesday afternoon.
Steve Marshall
Age: 61 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Attorney Education: B.A., American Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 1987; J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1990 Party: Republican Offices held/offices sought: Marshall County district attorney, 2001-17; Alabama attorney general, 2017-present Campaign fundraising: Raised $1.3 million and spent $920,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Barry Moore
Age: 59 Residence: Enterprise Occupation: Owner, waste and hauling company
Education: B.S. Agricultural Science, Auburn University, 1992 Party: Republican Offices held/offices sought: Alabama House of Representatives, 2010-18; U.S. House of Representatives, 2021-present Campaign fundraising: Raised $2.5 million and spent $2.1 million as of Wednesday afternoon.
Rodney Walker
Age: 56 Residence: Lineville Occupation: Small business owner Education: B.S. Engineering from Auburn University, 1992; Aviation/Flight Degree from Wallace State Community College 2001 Party: Republican Offices held/offices sought: First-time candidate Campaign fundraising: Raised over $2 million and spent just over $2 million as of Wednesday afternoon.
Dakarai Larriett
Age: 41 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Small business owner Education: B.A. Management and Economics from The University of Alabama, 2009 Party: Democratic Offices held/offices sought: First-time candidate Campaign fundraising: Raisedjust over $136,000 and spent $126,500 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Kyle Sweetser
Age: 37 Residence: Mobile Occupation: Full-time campaigning Education: B.S. Engineering from Auburn University, 1992; Aviation/Flight Degree from Wallace State Community College 2001
Party: Democratic Offices held/offices sought: First-time candidate Campaign fundraising: Raised $159,000 and spent $153,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Everett Wess
Age: 64 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Attorney Education: B.S. Computer Science from Alabama A&M University; Master’s of Business Administration from Alabama A&M University; J.D. Birmingham School of Law, 2000; Associates Degree in Music Education from Selma Junior University Party: Democratic Offices held/offices sought: Served on the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Board Campaign fundraising: Raised $43,700 and spent $42,400 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mark Wheeler II
Age: 33 Residence: Heflin Occupation: Chemist Education: B.S. Chemistry Party: Democrat Offices held/offices sought: First-time candidate Campaign fundraising:Raised $17,100 and spent $16,759 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Efforts to reach Seth Burton and Jared Hudson were unsuccessful.
