1986 United States Senate election in Alabama

1986 United States Senate election in Alabama

← 1980 November 3, 1986 1992 →

Nominee Richard Shelby Jeremiah Denton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 609,360 602,537 Percentage 50.3% 49.7%

County results Shelby:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Denton:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Jeremiah Denton Republican Elected U.S. Senator Richard Shelby Democratic

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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.

Democratic primary[]

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[]

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[]

General election[]

Shelby won a very narrow victory of less than one percent over Denton.^[3]

Candidates[]

• Jeremiah Denton (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
• Richard Shelby (D), U.S. Representative

Results[]

See also[]

• 1986 United States Senate elections

References[]