Jared Hudson Wins Alabama GOP Senate Runoff; Everett Wess Secures Democratic Nomination
Rep. Barry Moore was projected to win the Alabama Republican U.S. Senate runoff on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, for the open seat left by Sen. Tommy Tuberville's gubernatorial bid.[1]
In the May 19 Republican primary, Moore received nearly 40% of the vote while Jared Hudson had about 26%.[1] CBS said Moore's win underscored the staying power of Donald Trump's endorsement and contrasted Moore's backing with Hudson's outsider pitch.[1]
On May 27, 2025, Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced he would run for Alabama governor rather than seek re-election to the U.S. Senate, creating an open seat.[2] That set up a May 19 primary that produced no majority and sent Moore and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson to Tuesday's runoff.[1]
Former Judge Everett Wess defeated small business owner Dakarai Larriett in the Democratic runoff, a result the Associated Press called and Fox News reported.[2] Moore will face Wess in November in a state that CBS noted has rarely elected Democrats to the Senate and where Trump carried the state by roughly 30 points in 2024.[1]
The mainstream summary states that Barry Moore received nearly 40% of the vote in the Republican primary, but it does not provide the exact figures, which show he garnered 39.2% with 188,825 votes, while Jared Hudson received 25.6% with 123,533 votes. This level of detail highlights the competitive nature of the primary, where a significant number of voters opted for Hudson and Steve Marshall, who received 24.5% of the vote, indicating a more fragmented Republican electorate than the summary suggests. Furthermore, the summary does not mention the historical context of Alabama's primary runoff turnout, which has consistently been lower than that of the initial primaries, with only 402,000 votes cast in 2022 compared to over 600,000 in the primary, suggesting potential challenges for Moore in the general election due to voter engagement issues.[3][4]
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
In the May 19, 2026 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, Barry Moore received 39.2% of the vote (188,825 votes), Jared Hudson received 25.6% (123,533 votes), and Steve Marshall received 24.5% (118,233 votes), with approximately 482,000 total votes cast in the Republican Senate primary.
Alabama Senate Primary Election 2026 Live Results — NBC News
Alabama Republican primary runoff turnout has historically been substantially lower than primary turnout; in 2022 it fell from about 647,000 votes to 402,000 (11% of registered voters), and in 2020 from about 718,000 to 551,000 (15% of registered voters).
Full election results: 2026 Alabama primary runoff races — WVTM 13
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. Barry Moore was projected by CBS News to have defeated Jared Hudson in the Alabama Republican Senate runoff on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 (Rep. Barry Moore).
- In the May primary, CBS reported Moore received nearly 40% of the vote while Jared Hudson got about 26%, with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall eliminated (May primary).
- CBS noted Alabama's long-standing Republican tilt — the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in roughly three decades aside from Doug Jones' 2017 special election — and that Donald Trump carried Alabama by about 30 points in 2024 (Doug Jones' 2017 special election).
- CBS framed Moore's victory as evidence of the 'staying power' of Donald Trump's endorsement, contrasting Moore's Trump backing with Hudson's outsider pitch even as both embraced an 'America First' agenda (Trump's endorsement).
- Former Judge Everett Wess won the Democratic U.S. Senate runoff in Alabama on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, defeating small business owner Dakarai Larriett — a result the Associated Press called, Fox News reported (Everett Wess).
- The seat is open because Sen. Tommy Tuberville is running for governor in 2026 rather than seeking re-election, Fox News noted (Tommy Tuberville).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Former Judge Everett Wess won the Democratic U.S. Senate runoff in Alabama on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, defeating small business owner Dakarai Larriett.
- The Associated Press called the Democratic runoff for Wess on June 16, 2026.
- The article reiterates that the seat is open because Sen. Tommy Tuberville is running for governor in 2026 rather than seeking re-election.
- CBS News projects that Rep. Barry Moore defeated Jared Hudson in the Alabama Republican Senate runoff held Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
- The article reiterates that Moore previously secured nearly 40% of the vote and Hudson about 26% in the May primary, with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall eliminated.
- CBS emphasizes Alabama's long-standing Republican tilt, noting that outside Doug Jones' 2017 special election win, the state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in the last three decades and that Trump carried Alabama by 30 points in 2024.
- The article frames Moore's victory as another example of the 'staying power' of Trump's endorsement, contrasting Moore's backing from Trump with Hudson's outsider pitch while also embracing the 'America First' agenda.
- CBS notes that Moore will face either business owner Dakarai Larriett or attorney Everett Wess in November, depending on the outcome of the Democratic runoff held the same day.