The 1986 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 3, 1986 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeremiah Denton ran for a second term, but was narrowly defeated by Democratic U.S. Representative Richard Shelby by around 7,000 votes.
Shelby, a moderate-to-conservative Democrat narrowly avoided a runoff and won nomination in the Democratic Party primary.[1]
Candidates[]
Jim Allen, Jr., son of former U.S. Senator Jim Allen
Steve Arnold
Ted McLaughlin
Richard Shelby, U.S. Representative since 1979
Margaret Stewart, writer
Results[]
Democratic primary results
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Richard Shelby
420,155
51.33%
Democratic
Jim Allen, Jr.
284,206
34.72%
Democratic
Ted McLaughlin
70,784
8.65%
Democratic
Margaret Stewart
26,723
3.27%
Democratic
Steve Arnold
16,722
2.04%
Total votes
818,590
100.00%
Republican primary[]
Incumbent Senator Jeremiah Denton, a retired Rear Admiral and decorated Vietnam War veteran who six years earlier became the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since Reconstruction, won the primary with little opposition.[2]
Candidates[]
Jeremiah Denton, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1981
Richard Vickers
Results[]
Republican primary results
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Jeremiah Denton (incumbent)
29,805
88.55%
Republican
Richard Vickers
3,854
11.45%
Total votes
33,659
100.00%
General election[]
Shelby won a very narrow victory of less than one percent over Denton.[3]