As 2026 begins to shift the political landscape in the Yellowhammer State, State Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) is thinking about going from the Alabama House to the U.S. House.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) is expected to announces his bid for the U.S. Senate in the coming days during a public event in Sylvania. Moore will be in a contest against Attorney General Steve Marshall and former Navy Seal Jared Hudson to replace U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), who recently announces his candidacy to be Alabama’s next governor.

“We’re just waiting to see what Barry does, and we’ll take a look at what the options hold,” Marques told Alabama Daily News Wednesday morning. “I’m happy in the Alabama House, but if Barry does run for Senate, we’ll look at options, see what doors open, and go from there.”

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If Marques does decide to run for the vacant seat, it’s possible he would go up against former U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) in a Republican primary.

Carl teased a ‘major announcement’ on social media Wednesday, telling his followers to stay tuned. The two-term congressman, who represented Alabama’s first congressional district, said the big news will soon be made public.

“I lived there for 27 years of my life and moved to Enterprise in 2000,” Marques continued. “We’re not closing doors. As they come open, we’ll go through them. But if nothing opens, I’m happy where I am.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee