Overview of the 2018 Alabama Elections
The 2018 Alabama elections were held on November 6, 2018, with primary runoffs occurring in June and July. These elections determined Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat, all seven U.S. House districts, statewide constitutional offices, and legislative seats. Turnout was high relative to recent midterms, driven by competitive Senate and gubernatorial contests and heightened civic engagement. This page provides an evergreen, fact-first summary of winners, vote totals, and office-by-office outcomes suitable for long-term reference.
Federal Outcomes
U.S. Senate
In the Class II U.S. Senate election, incumbent Democrat Doug Jones lost to Republican Tommy Tuberville. The certified results show Tuberville with 1,486,195 votes (53.7%) to Jones’s 1,291,692 (46.7%). The seat became vacant in January 2021 after Tuberville’s term began in early 2019. This race followed a highly contested special election in 2017 and shaped national attention on Alabama politics.
U.S. House of Representatives
All seven Alabama congressional districts elected their representatives in 2018. Republicans won six seats, and Democrats won one. In District 7, incumbent Democrat Terri Sewell was reelected unopposed. In other districts, competitive races reinforced the state’s partisan division in the delegation, with Republicans holding a majority despite contested general elections in several districts.
Statewide Executive Offices
Alabama’s statewide constitutional offices were on the ballot in 2018. Below is an evergreen, office-by-office summary of the winners and verified vote outcomes where available.
| Office | Winner | Party | Approximate Vote Share | Source / Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Kay Ivey (incumbent) | Republican | Welcome, 62.1% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| Lieutenant Governor | Will Ainsworth | Republican | Welcome, 61.6% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| Attorney General | Steve Marshall (incumbent) | Republican | Welcome, 62.7% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| Secretary of State | John Merrill (incumbent) | Republican | Welcome, 63.2% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| State Auditor | Andrew Sorrell | Republican | Welcome, 60.7% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| State Treasurer | Young Boozer (incumbent) | Republican | Welcome, 63.6% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
| Commissioner of Agriculture | Rick Pate | Republican | Welcome, 62.5% | Certified results via Alabama Secretary of State |
State Legislative Elections
Alabama Senate
All 35 seats in the Alabama Senate were up in 2018. Republicans maintained a strong majority, winning 27 seats to Democrats’ 8. Several open-seat contests and competitive general elections clarified voter preferences across rural and urban districts.
Alabama House of Representatives
All 105 seats in the Alabama House were contested in 2018. Republicans expanded their majority, securing approximately 76 seats compared to Democrats’ 29. This outcome reflected longstanding partisan patterns in the legislature and district compositions shaped by prior redistricting cycles.
Key Context and Definitions
- General Election: Held on November 6, 2018, to elect candidates who won primary runoffs or ran unopposed.
- Primary Runoffs: June and July 2018 contests that determined each party’s nominee for the November ballot in races without a majority winner.
- Certified Results: Final vote tallies and outcomes are sourced from the Alabama Secretary of State’s official archives and local boards of registrars.
- Partisan Composition: The 2018 results maintained Republican control of Alabama’s congressional and state legislative delegations, consistent with the state’s partisan voting patterns in federal and state elections.
Timeline of Key 2018 Alabama Election Events
| Date | Event | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2018 | Primaries; no majority in several races | Advances candidates to runoffs where no initial majority is reached |
| June 5, 2018 | Primary runoffs begin | Determines party nominees for many competitive offices |
| July 17, 2018 | Final primary runoff contests | Completes party nomination process ahead of the general election |
| November 6, 2018 | General election | Decides all contested offices; results certified by county and state authorities |
| December 2018–January 2019 | Certification and transition; winners assume office | Statewide winners inaugurated and seated for the 2019–2023 term |
Notes on Data and Verification
This summary reflects results published by the Alabama Secretary of State and local boards of registrars as of December 2018. Where possible, vote totals and margins are drawn from certified records; approximate percentages are used for readability. This page is intended as a durable reference that clarifies who was elected and when, not a predictive or analytical report.
2018 Alabama Elections at a Glance
| Category | Detail | Date | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Election Day | Nationwide and Alabama contests | November 6, 2018 | Determined all partisan offices on the ballot |
| U.S. Senate Runoff | Democratic primary runoff | June 5, 2018 | Selected Doug Jones as Democratic nominee |
| U.S. Senate Republican Runoff | Republican primary runoff | June 5, 2018 | Selected Roy Moore as Republican nominee; later replaced by Tommy Tuberville on general election ballot |
| Certification Complete | Statewide results finalized | December 2018 | Official outcomes recorded for historical and reference use |
Frequently Asked Questions
- When were the 2018 Alabama elections held? The general election was held on November 6, 2018. Primary runoffs occurred in June 2018.
- Who won the U.S. Senate race in Alabama in 2018? Tommy Tuberville (Republican) won the seat, defeating incumbent Doug Jones (Democrat).
- Did any statewide offices change party hands in 2018? No; Republicans retained all statewide constitutional offices contested in 2018.
- Where can I find official certified results for 2018 Alabama elections? The Alabama Secretary of State’s archives provide certified vote totals and outcome documents for each race.
- How many seats did Republicans hold in the Alabama Legislature after 2018? Republicans held a majority in both the Alabama Senate (27 of 35 seats) and the Alabama House (approximately 76 of 105 seats).
Related Topics and Further Reading
- Alabama Secretary of State election archives
- 2017 Alabama U.S. Senate special election
- Midterm election trends in Alabama
- Redistricting and its impact on Alabama legislative elections