The 2026 election cycle claimed Republican scalps on Tuesday, resulting in several key legislative losses that slightly alters the math of the supermajorities enjoyed by both chambers of the Alabama Legislature since 2010.
Republicans held onto two-thirds majorities in both chambers. They kept the Alabama House GOP supermajority by four seats and the Alabama Senate GOP supermajority with none to spare.
The Senate went from 27 Republicans and eight Democrats to 24 Republicans, 10 Democrats and potentially one independent, with all 2,000 precincts reporting. A two-thirds majority in the 35-member chamber is 24 seats. The House went from 76 Republicans and 29 Democrats to 74 and 31. Two-thirds of 105 is 70.
Two-thirds votes are required to propose constitutional amendments, override a governor’s veto and suspend the rules to bring a bill to the floor outside the normal calendar.
Senate
Democrats won two Republican-held seats, both in Madison County. Rudolph Drake, whom Democrats selected to challenge John Roberts after the primary, defeated Roberts 56% to 44% in Senate District 2, the seat Tom Butler held with 55.6% in 2022.
Jared Sluss led State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) by 577 votes, 30,255 to 29,678, in Senate District 7. Givhan won the seat with 62.7% in 2022.
Madison County was an utter bloodbath for Republicans. Of 28 contested partisan races on the county’s ballot, Democrats won 24, including the sheriff, the tax collector and all three district judgeships.
Independent Jesse Battles led State Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) by 84 votes, 20,067 to 19,983, in Senate District 10. Battles carried Etowah County, 70% of the district, 15,716 to 12,277.
Jones carried Cherokee County with 57% and DeKalb County with 75%. Jones was unopposed in 2022. Provisional ballots will be counted next week, and the margin is within the range for a recount.
If Jones recovers the seat, Republicans hold 25. If Battles holds it, Republicans have 24 and need every member present and voting together on any two-thirds question.
State Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) held Senate District 16 with 53.7%, 29,184 to 25,133, over Spencer Stone. State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) held his seat with 61% of the vote. State Sen. Lance Bell (R-Pell City) held his with 56.6%. State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) held Senate District 25 with 56.3%.
House
Democrats won two Republican-held House seats.
Nell Brown defeated Leigh Hulsey 11,042 to 10,516 in House District 15, which covers Hoover and parts of Shelby County. Allison Montgomery defeated State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville) 53.3% to 46.7% in House District 25.
Republicans held three seats by fewer than 700 votes.
State Rep. Mike Shaw (R-Hoover) defeated Jim Toomey 8,266 to 7,890 in House District 47 after trailing on the first Jefferson County precincts. State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) defeated Forrest Satterfield 12,484 to 11,808 in House District 21.
State Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) defeated Robert Hunter 6,566 to 6,281 in House District 28 in Etowah County.
State Rep. Parker Moore (R-Decatur) trailed Hanu Karlapalem in House District 4 with Limestone County counted and won with 59.4% after Morgan County reported.
Norman Crow held House District 63 in Tuscaloosa County with 54.2%.
John Knapp held House District 65 with 54.8% over independent Elaine Beech.
What it means
Republicans lost five legislative seats on the night, all in Huntsville, Hoover, potentially Gadsden, and held another four by margins under 700 votes.
Every loss and every close call came in a county where U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) ran five to ten points behind his 2020 showing in the governor’s race.
Madison County, which cast a record 152,159 ballots and went 58% for Doug Jones, accounts for three of the five.
The new legislative quadrennium convenes in January. Senate District 10 will likely not be settled before certification later this month.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
