‘Bring it on’: Carl faces primary challenge from Moore

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October 30, 2023

After Alabama’s congressional map was redrawn by federal courts for effect in the 2024 election, two sitting members of the House will now run against each other in the Republican primary.

Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) announced his reelection bid for the First Congressional District last month once the map was solidified. On Monday, Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) announced he’s also running for the seat after being drawn out of the Second District.

“Bring it on,” Carl said Monday. ”I have a proven track record of putting Alabama first every day and delivering conservative results for Alabama’s First Congressional District.

“I’m not afraid to fight Biden’s radical, out of touch ideas or whatever else comes my way.”

The matchup will put the new political geography and electorate to the test, particularly in Baldwin County, with Moore’s in the Wiregrass and Carl’s in Mobile.

Moore announced his campaign Monday in recognition of the anniversary of his not-guilty verdict. In 2014, he was acquitted by a Lee County jury on charges of perjury and giving false statements in the ethics investigation of former Speaker Mike Hubbard.

“I became a conservative who was attacked by the swamp itself, but it was the Montgomery swamp at that time,” Moore told 1819 News. “That was the thing that changed the trajectory of my life that we felt we were called into this fight. That being the nine-year anniversary, we thought that was a great day to announce that we are going to continue to stay in this fight for limiting government to stop the weaponization of government against American citizens.”

Carl and Moore, who were both elected to Congress in 2020, went to Washington as fellow conservative freshmen lawmakers from Alabama. Today, they’re primary contenders on a politically-redrawn map that arguably engineered their rivalry by design.

“We’re friends,” Moore said of Carl to Washington outlet Punchbowl News last month. “We came in at the same time. We’re classmates, so we’ve worked well together. It’s unfortunate that this happened, but we’ll just continue to be friends regardless.”

“Barry is different from Jerry and Jerry is different from Barry,” Carl told Punchbowl. “We’ll run our race and see what the people want … No one wants this type of race, specifically member-on-member.

“I’m sure the Alabama Democratic Party is loving it.”

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270