Elections in Alabama

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Elections in Alabama
Federal government
Presidential elections
  • 1820
  • 1824
  • 1828
  • 1832
  • 1836
  • 1840
  • 1844
  • 1848
  • 1852
  • 1856
  • 1860
  • 1868
  • 1872
  • 1876
  • 1880
  • 1884
  • 1888
  • 1892
  • 1896
  • 1900
  • 1904
  • 1908
  • 1912
  • 1916
  • 1920
  • 1924
  • 1928
  • 1932
  • 1936
  • 1940
  • 1944
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
Presidential primaries and caucuses
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
U.S. Senate elections
  • 1819
  • 1822
  • 1822 (sp)
  • 1826 (sp)
  • 1828
  • 1831
  • 1834
  • 1837
  • 1837 (sp)
  • 1840
  • 1841 (sp)
  • 1842
  • 1847
  • 1848 (sp)
  • 1849 (sp)
  • 1853
  • 1855
  • 1858
  • 1868
  • 1870
  • 1872
  • 1872 (sp)
  • 1876
  • 1878
  • 1878 (sp)
  • 1880 (sp)
  • 1882
  • 1884
  • 1888
  • 1890
  • 1894
  • 1896
  • 1897
  • 1900
  • 1903
  • 1907
  • 1907 (sp)
  • 1908
  • 1911
  • 1914
  • 1914 (sp)
  • 1918
  • 1920
  • 1920 (sp)
  • 1924
  • 1926
  • 1930
  • 1932
  • 1936
  • 1938
  • 1938 (sp)
  • 1942
  • 1944
  • 1946 (sp)
  • 1948
  • 1950
  • 1954
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1962
  • 1966
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1974
  • 1978
  • 1978 (sp)
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1986
  • 1990
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2010
  • 2014
  • 2016
  • 2017 (sp)
  • 2020
  • 2022
  • 2026
U.S. House elections
State government
State-wide elections
Gubernatorial elections
State Senate elections
State House elections
Ballot measures
Birmingham
Mayoral elections
  • 2017
  • 2021
Mobile
Mayoral elections
  • 2021
Montgomery
Mayoral elections
  • 2007
  • 2009 (special)
  • 2011
  • 2015
  • 2019
Category Government
  • v
  • t

Elections in Alabama are authorized under the Alabama State Constitution, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature, and the election of county-level officers, including members of school boards.

The office of the Alabama Secretary of State has an Elections Division that oversees the execution of elections under state law?

State elections[]

History[]

With the disenfranchisement of blacks at the turn of the 20th century after the Reconstruction era, Alabama Democrats suppressed populist challenges and the state became part of the "Solid South." This constitution was not initially supported by the majority of whites, but Democrats used the call of white supremacy to gain passage.[1] In addition to wanting to affirm white supremacy, the planter and business elite were concerned about voting by lower-class and uneducated whites. Historian J. Morgan Kousser found, "They disfranchised these whites as willingly as they deprived blacks of the vote."[2] After passage, the 1901 constitution's provisions for a grandfather clause, cumulative poll taxes, literacy tests, and increased residency requirements state, county and precinct effectively disenfranchised many poor whites as well, to enable elite control. Glenn Feldman has documented that in total, by 1941 more whites than blacks had been disenfranchised in Alabama under this constitution.[3] The Democratic Party dominated politics in every Southern state. For nearly 100 years, local and state elections in Alabama were decided in the Democratic Party primary, with generally only token Republican challengers running in the General Election. Republicans ran a token candidate in every Alabama gubernatorial election except for 1930 and 1962. Their highest vote total between disenfranchisement and 1966 was the 21.28% of the vote they gained in 1922. Alabama was unusual among Deep South states in even having a token Republican running in the gubernatorial election. In nearby states like Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi, Republicans did not field a gubernatorial candidate until the 1960s.

Demographic changes and developments in the 1986 Democratic primary election led to the election of the first Republican governor by majority-white voters in more than a century. This was the beginning of what is now Republican political dominance in the state. One million voters cast ballots in the 1986 Democratic primary. The then-incumbent lieutenant governor, Bill Baxley, lost the Democratic nomination for governor by approximately 8,000 votes to then fellow Democratic Attorney General Charles Graddick.

The state Democratic party's five-member election contest committee invalidated the primary election result, claiming that thousands of Republicans had "illegally" voted in the Democratic primary for Graddick. As a result, they removed Graddick from the ballot. The Democratic Party placed Baxley's name on the ballot as the Democratic candidate instead of Graddick. The voters of the state revolted at what they perceived as disenfranchisement of their right to vote and elected the Republican challenger, Guy Hunt, as governor.[4] Hunt was nominated in a statewide Republican primary that had 28,000 participants, compared to >1,000,000 in the Democratic primary. That November, Hunt became the first Republican governor elected in Alabama since Reconstruction, winning 57 percent of the vote statewide against Baxley.

Since 1986, Republicans have won six of the seven gubernatorial elections and become increasingly competitive in Alabama politics at many levels. They currently control two seats of Alabama's U.S. Senate delegation and six out of seven of the state's U.S. Representative delegation. And all 9 seats on the Supreme Court of Alabama are held by Republicans.

Two Republican lieutenant governors have been elected since Reconstruction, Steve Windom and Kay Ivey, the current governor. Windom served as lieutenant governor under Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman. Before 2011, the last time that Alabama had a governor and lieutenant governor of the same party was the period between 1983 and 1987 when George Wallace was serving his fourth term as governor and Bill Baxley was serving as lieutenant governor; both were Democrats.

As of 2012[]

Republicans held all nine seats on the Alabama Supreme Court[5] and all ten seats on the state appellate courts. Until 1994, no Republicans held any of the state court seats. In the 1994 general election, the then-incumbent Chief Justice of Alabama, Ernest C. Hornsby, refused to leave office after losing the election by precisely 262 votes to Republican Perry O. Hooper Sr.. Hornsby sued Alabama and defiantly remained in office for nearly a year before finally giving up the seat after losing a long court battle that included a decision by the very Supreme Court of which he himself was the Chief Justice.[6] This ultimately led to a collapse of support for Democrats at the ballot box in the next three or four election cycles. The Democrats lost the last of the nineteen court seats in August 2011 with the resignation of the last Democrat on the bench.

Republicans hold all seven of the statewide elected executive branch offices. Republicans hold six of the eight elected seats on the Alabama State Board of Education. In 2010, Republicans took large majorities of both chambers of the state legislature, giving them control of that body for the first time in 136 years. Democrats lost their last remaining statewide office in November 2012 with the re-election defeat of the president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, thus giving Republicans all three of its seats.[7][8][9]

Local elections[]

In the late 20th century, Alabama maintained its extensive system of at-large voting for most county and municipal offices, including County Commissioners, Boards of Education, Tax Assessors, Tax Collectors, etc. As a result, in majority-white jurisdictions, black minorities, even when significant in proportion and then able to register and vote, were generally unable to elect any candidates of their choice in such elections. These practices were challenged by plaintiffs under (1986). The federal district judge found that the state's broad use of at-large elections had a racially discriminatory purpose and violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The state's use of a "place system", which precluded single-shot voting, was found specifically to have been adopted to "impede the ability of African-American voters to elect" candidates of their choice.[10]

Following the court ruling on the state's use of this system, the plaintiffs expanded their dilution claims in Dillard in an omnibus application to "include the at-large election systems to include other county commissions, county school boards, and municipal councils across the state."[10] The amended complaint covered nearly "200 units of local government", challenging at-large systems in local jurisdictions in which blacks were at least 10 percent of the population.[10] Most of the affected jurisdictions settled these cases by adopting single-member district systems (SMDs), which has resulted in the election of more blacks to local offices, generally in proportion to their part of the jurisdiction's population; this has resulted in more Democrats being elected to office. Limited voting schemes were adopted by 21 municipalities in negotiation with the plaintiffs, and another six jurisdictions adopted cumulative voting arrangements. As a result, total representation by black candidates has increased in local elections for municipal and county government, as well as county school boards.[10] Elections have been held since 1988 under these alternative systems.

As of the early 21st century, local elections in most rural counties, many of which are black dominated, are generally decided in the Democratic primary, and local elections in metropolitan and suburban counties, which are generally white majority, are decided in the Republican primary, although there are exceptions.[11][12]

Alabama's 67 County Sheriffs are elected in partisan elections, and Democrats until 2016 retained the majority of those posts. The current split as of April 2017 is 32 Democrats, 34 Republicans, and 1 Independent (Fayette).[13] Most Democrat sheriffs have been elected in rural counties. The majority of Republican sheriffs have been elected in more urban/suburban and heavily populated counties, which tend to be majority white.[13] Just two of 19 Alabama counties with a population of over 75,000 (Limestone and Montgomery) have a Democratic sheriff; and seventeen of 48 Alabama counties with a population of under 75,000 have Republican sheriffs (Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Cherokee, Chilton, Clarke, Cleburne, Crenshaw, Coffee, Coosa, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Jackson, Tallapoosa, Walker, and Winston).[13] The state has one female sheriff (Morgan) and ten black sheriffs (Bullock, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, and Wilcox).[13]

In addition, Alabama, considered a "ruby-red" state (frequently supporting the GOP), elected Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate, as opposed to Roy Moore for the US Senator seat on 12 December 2017.

Federal elections[]

History[]

Presidential elections results
Year Republican Democratic State winner
2020 62.03% 1,441,170 36.57% 849,624 Donald Trump
2016 62.08% 1,318,255 34.36% 729,547 Donald Trump
2012 60.55% 1,255,925 38.36% 795,696 Mitt Romney
2008 60.32% 1,266,546 38.80% 813,479 John McCain
2004 62.46% 1,176,394 36.84% 693,933 George W. Bush
2000 56.47% 944,409 41.59% 695,602 George W. Bush
1996 50.12% 769,044 43.16% 662,165 Bob Dole
1992 47.65% 804,283 40.88% 690,080 George H. W. Bush
1988 59.17% 815,576 39.86% 549,506 George H. W. Bush
1984 60.54% 872,849 38.28% 551,899 Ronald Reagan
1980 48.75% 654,192 47.45% 636,730 Ronald Reagan
1976 42.61% 504,070 55.73% 659,170 Jimmy Carter
1972 72.43% 728,701 25.54% 256,923 Richard Nixon
1968* 13.99% 146,923 18.72% 196,579 George Wallace (I)
1964 69.45% 479,085 30.55% 210,732 Barry Goldwater
1960 42.16% 237,981 56.39% 318,303 John F. Kennedy
*State won by George Wallace
of the American Independent Party,
at 65.86%, or 691,425 votes

From 1876 through 1956, Alabama supported only Democratic presidential candidates, by large margins. There were only two exceptions; the 1928 elections in which the Democrats won by a much smaller margin than normal due to Anti-Catholic prejudices against the Democratic candidate Al Smith, and the 1948 election when Alabama, along with Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina, voted for Strom Thurmond of the pro-segregation States Rights Democratic Party. In 1960, the Democrats won with John F. Kennedy on the ballot. However, six of the state's 11 Democratic electors were members of the unpledged elector movement, and gave their electoral votes as a protest to Harry Byrd.

In 1964, the state swung over dramatically to support Republican Barry Goldwater, who carried the state with an unheard-of 69 percent of the vote, carrying all but five counties. He was the first Republican to carry the state since 1872. Like much of the Deep South, Alabama's voters turned violently on President Lyndon Johnson in the wake of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In the 1968 presidential election, Alabama supported native son and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace over both Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Wallace was the official Democratic candidate in Alabama, while Humphrey was the National Democratic nominee.[14] In 1976, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter from Georgia carried the state, the region, and the nation, but Democratic control of the region slipped after that.

Alabama does not register voters by party, but in recent statewide elections, Republican turnout in statewide primaries has consistently exceeded that for the Democrats. Alabama is now considered as a Republican stronghold at both the federal and state level, although Democrats still retain a slim majority in many local offices (sheriffs, county commissioners, etc.). The state has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980, and Democrats have not seriously contested the state since. Republicans have also done increasingly well in Senate and House elections; they have held a majority of the state's congressional delegation and both Senate seats since 1997. In 2012, Democrats lost the only remaining statewide office the party still held giving Republicans control of all 10 state constitutional offices. The GOP also has won all 19 statewide court seats. In 2010, Republicans won large majorities in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature ending 136 years of Democratic rule; see Dixiecrat.

In 2004, George W. Bush won Alabama's nine electoral votes by a margin of 25 percentage points with 62.5% of the vote, mostly white voters. The 11 counties that voted Democratic were Black Belt counties, where African Americans are the majority racial group.

2017[]

The state's two U.S. senators are Republican Richard C. Shelby and Democrat Doug Jones. Richard Shelby was first elected in 1986 as a Democrat and switched parties after a Republican wave the 1994 midterm elections. Doug Jones was elected in a special election in 2017 to replace U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, defeating former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, the state is represented by seven members, six Republicans (Bradley Byrne, Mike D. Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Morris J. Brooks, Martha Roby, and Gary Palmer) and one Democrat (Terri Sewell).

Presidential elections[]

Main article: United States presidential elections in Alabama
Vote in Alabama National winner
Year Candidate Year Candidate
1820 James Monroe 1820 James Monroe
1824 Andrew Jackson 1824 John Quincy Adams
1828 Andrew Jackson 1828 Andrew Jackson
1832 Andrew Jackson 1832 Andrew Jackson
1836 Martin Van Buren 1836 Martin Van Buren
1840 Martin Van Buren 1840 William Henry Harrison
1844 James K. Polk 1844 James K. Polk
1848 Lewis Cass 1848 Zachary Taylor
1852 Franklin Pierce 1852 Franklin Pierce
1856 James Buchanan 1856 James Buchanan
1860 John C. Breckinridge 1860 Abraham Lincoln
1864 1864 Abraham Lincoln
1868 Ulysses S. Grant 1868 Ulysses S. Grant
1872 Ulysses S. Grant 1872 Ulysses S. Grant
1876 Samuel J. Tilden 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes
1880 Winfield Scott Hancock 1880 James A. Garfield
1884 Grover Cleveland 1884 Grover Cleveland
1888 Grover Cleveland 1888 Benjamin Harrison
1892 Grover Cleveland 1892 Grover Cleveland
1896 William Jennings Bryan 1896 William McKinley
1900 William Jennings Bryan 1900 William McKinley
1904 Alton B. Parker 1904 Theodore Roosevelt
1908 William Jennings Bryan 1908 William Howard Taft
1912 Woodrow Wilson 1912 Woodrow Wilson
1916 Woodrow Wilson 1916 Woodrow Wilson
1920 James M. Cox 1920 Warren G. Harding
1924 John W. Davis 1924 Calvin Coolidge
1928 Al Smith 1928 Herbert Hoover
1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1948 Strom Thurmond 1948 Harry S. Truman
1952 Adlai Stevenson 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower
1956 Adlai Stevenson 1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower
1960 Harry F. Byrd 1960 John F. Kennedy
1964 Barry Goldwater 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson
1968 George Wallace 1968 Richard Nixon
1972 Richard Nixon 1972 Richard Nixon
1976 Jimmy Carter 1976 Jimmy Carter
1980 Ronald Reagan 1980 Ronald Reagan
1984 Ronald Reagan 1984 Ronald Reagan
1988 George H. W. Bush 1988 George H. W. Bush
1992 George H. W. Bush 1992 Bill Clinton
1996 Bob Dole 1996 Bill Clinton
2000 George W. Bush 2000 George W. Bush
2004 George W. Bush 2004 George W. Bush
2008 John McCain 2008 Barack Obama
2012 Mitt Romney 2012 Barack Obama
2016 Donald Trump 2016 Donald Trump
2020 Donald Trump 2020 Joe Biden

Summary of elections[]

The following table displays, by color, the parties of elected officials in the U.S. state of Alabama from 1817 to the current year. As such, it may indicate the political party strength at any given time. The officers listed include:

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

  • State Senate
  • State House of Representatives
  • State delegation to the U.S. Senate
  • State delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

1817–1882[]

Year Executive offices General Assembly United States Congress Electoral votes
Governor Lt. Governor Secretary
of State		 Attorney
General		 Auditor Treasurer State Senate State House U.S. Senate
(Class II)		 U.S. Senate
(Class III)		 U.S.
House
1817 William Wyatt Bibb (NP)[b] no such office no such office no such office Jack Ross[c] no such bodies no such offices John
Crowell (DR)[d] 		no electoral votes
1818 Henry Hitchcock (DR)[e] [?] D majority
1819 William Wyatt Bibb (DR)[f] Thomas A. Rodgers Henry Hitchcock (DR) Jack Ross W majority William R. King (DR) John Williams Walker (DR) John
Crowell (DR)
1820 D majority Monroe/
Tompkins (DR) Green tickY
Thomas Bibb (DR)[g]
1821 James J. Pleasants (W) W majority Gabriel
Moore (DR)
1822 Israel Pickens (DR) William Kelly (DR)
1823 D majority 3DR
1824 James Innes Thornton[h] Jackson/
Calhoun (DR) Red XN
1825 William R. King (J) Henry H. Chambers (J) 3J
1826 John Murphy (J) Israel Pickens (J)
1827 John McKinley (J)
1828 Jackson/
Calhoun (D) Green tickY
1829 George Whitfield Crabb (W) 3J
1830 Gabriel Moore (J)[i]
1831 Samuel B. Moore (D)[g] Gabriel Moore (J)
1832 John Gayle (D) [j] Jackson/
Van Buren (D) Green tickY
1833 Gabriel Moore (NR) 4J, 1N
1834 Edmund A. Webster
1835 3J, 1N, 1NR
1836 Clement Comer Clay (D)[i] Thomas B. Tunstall Alexander Beaufort Meek (D)[k] Van Buren/
Johnson (D) Green tickY
1837 John Dennis Phelan (D) 18W, 12D, 3? 46W, 44D, 10? William R. King (D) John McKinley (D) 3D, 2W
Hugh McVay (D)[g] Clement Comer Clay (D)
1838 Arthur P. Bagby (D) [?] 45D, 33W, 22?
1839 (W) 19D, 9W, 5? 66D, 31W, 3?
1840 William Garrett (D) 23D, 10W 67D, 33W Van Buren/
Johnson (D) Red XN
1841 20D, 13W 54D, 46W 5D
1842 Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) 52D, 48W Arthur P. Bagby (D)
1843 21D, 12W 67D, 33W 6D, 1W
1844 19D, 14W 62D, 38W Dixon Hall Lewis (D) Polk/
Dallas (D) Green tickY
1845 D majority D majority
1846 Joshua L. Martin (ID)[l] 20D, 13W 61D, 37W, 2?
1847 5D, 2W
1848 Reuben Chapman (D) 17D, 16W 65D, 35W Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) William R. King (D) Cass/
Butler (D) Red XN
1849 Jeremiah Clemens (D)
1850 Henry W. Collier (D) 17W, 16D 57D, 43W
1851 4D, 2W, 1U
1852 Vincent M. Benham (D) 22U, 11SR 62U, 38SR Pierce/
King (D) Green tickY
1853 Clement Claiborne Clay (D) Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) 6D, 1W
1854 John A. Winston (D) 20D, 13W 59D, 41W
1855 5D, 2KN
1856 James H. Weaver 20D, 13KN 61D, 39KN Buchanan/
Breckinridge (D) Green tickY
1857 7D
1858 Andrew B. Moore (D) 27D, 6KN 84D, 16KN
1859
1860 Patrick Henry Brittan (D) (D) 27D, 6O 85D, 15O Breckinridge/
Lane (SD) Red XN
1861 vacant vacant
1862 John Gill Shorter (D) American Civil War
1863
1864 Thomas H. Watts (W)[m] no electoral votes
1865 Albert Stanhope Elmore[n] (D) (D)
Lewis E. Parsons (R)[o]
1866 Robert M. Patton (W)[p] (D) 33NP 100NP
1867 Micah Taul (D) 6R
Wager Swayne (M)[q]
1868 Charles A. Miller (R) Joshua Morse (R) Arthur Bingham (R) Grant/
Colfax (R) Green tickY
William Hugh Smith (R)[r] Willard Warner (R) George E. Spencer (R)
Andrew J. Applegate (R)
1869 (R) 32R, 1D 97R, 3D 4R, 2D
1870 Jabez J. Parker (D) John W. A. Sanford (D)
1871 Robert B. Lindsay (D)[r] Edward H. Moren (D) 65D, 35R George Goldthwaite (D) 3R, 3D
1872 Patrick Ragland (R) Benjamin Gardner (R) Robert T. Smith (R) Arthur Bingham (R) Grant/
Wilson (R) Green tickY
1873 David P. Lewis (R) Alexander McKinstry (R) Neander H. Rice (R) 17R, 16D[s] 51R, 49D[t] 6R, 2D
1874 (D) John W. A. Sanford (D)
1875 George S. Houston (D) Robert F. Ligon (D) 20D, 13R 60D, 40R 6D, 2R
1876 Willis Brewer (D) Tilden/
Hendricks (D) Red XN
1877 no such office[u] 33D 80D, 20R John Tyler Morgan (D) 8D
1878 William W. Screws (D) (D) (D)
1879 Rufus W. Cobb (D) 31D, 2R 91D, 4ID, 3R, 2GB George S. Houston (D) 7D, 1GB
1880 Luke Pryor (D) Hancock/
English (D) Red XN
1881 33D 94D, 4ID, 1R, 1GB James L. Pugh (D) 8D
1882 Ellis Phelan (D) 7D, 1GB
Year Governor Lt. Governor Secretary
of State		 Attorney
general		 Auditor Treasurer State Senate State House U.S. Senate
(Class II)		 U.S. Senate
(Class III)		 U.S.
House		 Electoral votes
Executive offices General Assembly United States Congress

1883–present[]

Year Executive offices State Legislature United States Congress Electoral votes
Governor Lt. Governor Secretary
of State		 Attorney
General		 Auditor Treasurer Ag. Comm. State Senate State House U.S. Senate
(Class II)		 U.S. Senate
(Class III)		 U.S. House
1883 Edward A. O'Neal (D) no such office[v] Ellis Phelan (D) (D) (D) 31D, 2R 77D, 17I, 5R, 1GB John Tyler Morgan (D) James L. Pugh (D) 8D
1884 (D) 7D, 1R Cleveland/
Hendricks (D) Green tickY
1885 Charles C. Langdon (D)[n] 30D, 3R 93D, 7R 8D
1886
1887 Thomas Seay (D) Reuben Kolb (D) 32D, 1R 83D, 17R
1888 (D) Cleveland/
Thurman (D) Red XN
1889 (D) 92D, 8R
1890 Joseph D. Barron (D) 7D, 1R
1891 Thomas G. Jones (D) (D) 33D 97D, 3R 8D
1892 John Purifoy (D)[n] (D) Cleveland/
Stevenson (D) Green tickY
1893 26D, 7Pop 61D, 38Pop, 1R 9D
1894 James K. Jackson (D) (D)
1895 William C. Oates (D) 24D, 8Pop, 1R 65D, 34Pop, 1R 8D, 1Pop
1896 (D) (D) 5D, 2Pop, 2R Bryan/
Sewall (D) Red XN
1897 Joseph F. Johnston (D) 22D, 9Pop, 2R 74D, 23Pop, 3R Edmund Pettus (D) 8D, 1Pop
1898 Robert P. McDavid (D) 7D, 1Pop, 1R
1899 28D, 5Pop 89D, 10Pop, 1R 9D
1900 (D) J. Craig Smith (D) (D) Bryan/
Stevenson (D) Red XN
William D. Jelks (D)[w] 8D, 1R
1901 William J. Samford (D)[f] 32D, 1Pop 92D, 6Pop, 2R 9D
William D. Jelks (D)[x][y]
1902
1903 Russell McWhortor
Cunningham (D)[z] 		James Thomas Heflin (D) (D) 35D 103D, 2R
1904 Edmund R. McDavid (D)[k] Parker/
Davis (D) Red XN
1905 J. Malcolm Carmichael
1906
1907 B. B. Comer (D) Henry B. Gray (D) Frank N. Julian (D) (D) William W. Brandon (D) Walter D. Seed Sr. (D) (D) 34D, 1R 104D, 2R John H. Bankhead (D) Joseph F. Johnston (D)
1908 Bryan/
Kern (D) Red XN
1909
1910 Cyrus B. Brown (D)
1911 Emmet O'Neal (D) Walter D. Seed Sr. (D) (D) (D) John Purifoy (D) Reuben Kolb (D) 103D, 3R
1912 Wilson/
Marshall (D) Green tickY
1913 10D
1914 Francis S. White (D)
1915 Charles Henderson (D) Thomas Kilby (D) John Purifoy (D) (D) Miles C. Allgood (D) (D) (D) 104D, 2R Oscar Underwood (D)
1916
1917
1918
1919 Thomas Kilby (D) Nathan Lee Miller (D) William Peyton Cobb (D) (D) (D) Miles C. Allgood (D) 100D, 5R, 1?
1920 B. B. Comer (D) Cox/
Roosevelt (D) Red XN
1921 Harwell Goodwin Davis (D) James Thomas Heflin (D)
1922
1923 William W. Brandon (D) Charles S. McDowell (D)[aa] (D) William B. Allgood (D) George Ellis (D) (D) 35D 105D, 1R
1924 Davis/
Bryan (D) Red XN
1925
1926
1927 Bibb Graves (D) William C. Davis (D) (D) (D) Sidney H. Blan (D) William B. Allgood (D) (D) 104D, 2R Hugo Black (D)
1928 Smith/
Robinson (D) Red XN
1929
1930
1931 Benjamin M. Miller (D) Hugh Davis Merrill (D) (D) (D) John M. Brandon (D) Sidney H. Blan (D) (D) 103D, 3R John H. Bankhead II (D)
1932 Roosevelt/
Garner (D) Green tickY
1933 9D
1934
1935 Bibb Graves (D) Thomas E. Knight David Howell Turner (D) Albert A. Carmichael (D) (D) John M. Brandon (D) (D) 105D, 1R
1936
1937 Dixie Bibb Graves (D)
1938 J. Lister Hill (D)
1939 Frank M. Dixon (D) Albert A. Carmichael (D) John M. Brandon (D) (D) David Howell Turner (D) Charles E. McCall (D)[f] (D)
1940 Roosevelt/
Wallace (D) Green tickY
1941 [n]
1942
1943 Chauncey Sparks (D) Leven H. Ellis (D) David Howell Turner (D) (D) John M. Brandon (D)
1944 Sibyl Pool (D)[n] Roosevelt/
Truman (D) Green tickY
1945
1946 George R. Swift (D)
1947 Jim Folsom (D) James C. Inzer (D) Albert A. Carmichael (D) John M. Brandon (D) Haygood Paterson (D) John Sparkman (D)
1948 Thurmond/
Wright (Dix) Red XN
1949
1950
1951 Gordon Persons (D) James Allen (D) Agnes Baggett (D) Si Garrett (D) John M. Brandon (D) Sibyl Pool (D) (D)
1952 Stevenson/
Sparkman (D) Red XN
1953
1954
1955 Jim Folsom (D) William G. Hardwick (D) Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) John M. Patterson (D) Agnes Baggett (D) John M. Brandon (D) (D)
1956 Stevenson/
Kefauver (D) Red XN
1957
1958
1959 John M. Patterson (D) Albert Boutwell (D) Bettye Frink (D) MacDonald Gallion (D) Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) Agnes Baggett (D) (D) 106D
1960 6 – Byrd/
Thurmond (Dix) Red XN
5 – Kennedy/
Johnson (D) Green tickY
1961
1962
1963 George Wallace (D) James Allen (D) Agnes Baggett (D) Richmond Flowers Sr. (D) Bettye Frink (D) Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) A. W. Todd (D) 104D, 2R 8D
1964 Goldwater/
Miller (R) Red XN
1965 5R, 3D
1966
1967 Lurleen Wallace (D)[f] Albert Brewer (D)[ab] Mabel Sanders Amos (D) MacDonald Gallion (D) Melba Till Allen (D) Agnes Baggett (D) (D) 34D, 1R 106D 5D, 3R
1968 Wallace/
LeMay (AI) Red XN
Albert Brewer (D)[ac] vacant
1969 James Allen (D)
1970
1971 George Wallace (D) Jere Beasley (D)[ad] Bill Baxley (D) 35D 104D, 2R
1972 (D)[f] Nixon/
Agnew (R) Green tickY
1973 4D, 3R
1974 (D)[n]
1975 Agnes Baggett (D) Bettye Frink (D) Melba Till Allen (D) 105D
1976 Carter/
Mondale (D) Green tickY
1977
1978 Annie Laurie Gunter (D)[n] Maryon Pittman Allen (D)
1979 Fob James (D) George McMillan (D) Don Siegelman (D) Charles Graddick (D) 101D, 4R Howell Heflin (D) Donald Stewart (D)
1980 Reagan/
Bush (R) Green tickY
1981 Jeremiah Denton (R)
1982
1983 George Wallace (D) Bill Baxley (D) Jan Cook (D) Albert McDonald (D) 32D, 3R 97D, 8R 5D, 2R
1984 29D, 3R, 3I 87D, 18R
1985
1986
1987 H. Guy Hunt (R)[ae] Jim Folsom Jr. (D) Glen Browder (D) Don Siegelman (D) George Wallace Jr. (D) 30D, 5R 89D, 16R Richard Shelby (D)
1988 Bush/
Quayle (R) Green tickY
1989 Fred Crawford (R)[k] 27D, 8R[af] 82D, 23R
1990 (R)[k]
1991 Billy Joe Camp (D) Jimmy Evans (D) (D) A. W. Todd (D) 28D, 7R
1992 Bush/
Quayle (R) Red XN
1993 27D, 8R 4D, 3R
Jim Folsom Jr. (D)[ac] vacant James R. Bennett (D)[n]
1994
1995 Fob James (R) Don Siegelman (D) Jeff Sessions (R)[ag] (R) Lucy Baxley (D) Jack Thompson (R) 23D, 12R 73D, 32R Richard Shelby (R)[ah]
1996 Dole/
Kemp (R) Red XN
1997 William H. Pryor Jr. (R)[n] 71D, 34R[ai] Jeff Sessions (R)[aj] 5R, 2D
1998 21D, 14R[ak] 68D, 37R[al]
1999 Don Siegelman (D) Steve Windom (R) James R. Bennett (R)[am] Susan Parker (D) Charles Bishop (D) 23D, 12R 69D, 36R
2000 24D, 11R[an] Bush/
Cheney (R) Green tickY
2001 68D, 37R[ao]
2002 67D, 38R[ap]
2003 Bob Riley (R) Lucy Baxley (D) Nancy Worley (D) Beth Chapman (R) Kay Ivey (R) Ron Sparks (D) 25D, 10R 63D, 42R[aq]
2004
Troy King (R)[n]
2005
2006 62D, 43R[ar]
2007 Jim Folsom Jr. (D) Beth Chapman (R) Samantha Shaw (R) 23D, 12R
2008 22D, 13R[as] McCain/
Palin (R) Red XN
2009 21D, 13R, 1I[at] 4R, 3D
2010 20D, 14R, 1I[au] 60D, 45R[av] 5R, 2D[aw]
2011 Robert J. Bentley (R)[ax] Kay Ivey (R) Luther Strange (R)[ag] Young Boozer (R) John McMillan (R) 22R, 12D, 1I 66R, 39D[ay] 6R, 1D
2012 Romney/
Ryan (R) Red XN
2013 23R, 11D, 1I[az] 66R, 38D, 1I[ba]
James R. Bennett (R)
2014 67R, 37D, 1I[bb]
2015 John Merrill (R) Jim Zeigler (R) 26R, 8D, 1I 72R, 33D
2016 Trump/
Pence (R) Green tickY
2017 Steve Marshall (R)[k] Luther Strange (R)[k]
Kay Ivey (R)[ac] vacant
2018 Doug Jones (D)[bc]
2019 Will Ainsworth (R) John McMillan (R) Rick Pate (R) 27R, 8D 77R, 28D
2020 Trump/
Pence (R) Red XN
2021 Tommy Tuberville (R)
Year Governor Lt. Governor Secretary
of State		 Attorney general Auditor Treasurer Ag. Comm. State Senate State House U.S. Senate
(Class II)		 U.S. Senate
(Class III)		 U.S. House Electoral votes
Executive offices State Legislature United States Congress


Key to party colors and abbreviations for members of the U.S. Congress and other politicians or officials
American (Know Nothing) (KN)
American Labor (AL)
Anti-Jacksonian (Anti-J)
National Republican (NR)
Anti-Administration (AA)
Democratic-Republican (DR)
Anti-Masonic (Anti-M)
Conservative (Con)
Democratic (D)
Dixiecrat (Dix),
States' Rights (SR)
Farmer–Labor (FL)
Federalist (F)
Pro-Administration (PA)
Free Soil (FS)
Fusion (Fus)
Greenback (GB)
Independence (IPM)
Independent Democrat (ID)
Independent Republican (IR)
Jacksonian (J)
Liberal (Lib)
Libertarian (L)
National Union (NU)
Nonpartisan League (NPL)
Nullifier (N)
Opposition Northern (O)
Opposition Southern (O)
Populist (Pop)
Progressive (Prog)
Prohibition (Proh)
Readjuster (Rea)
Republican (R)
Silver (Sv)
Silver Republican (SvR)
Socialist (Soc)
Unionist (U)
Unconditional Unionist (UU)
Whig (W)
Independent (I)
Nonpartisan (NP)
  1. ^ With the adoption of the state Constitution of 1819, the auditor became the comptroller of public accounts elected annually by a joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly. The Constitution of 1868 changed the title of the office to auditor and established a process by which the officeholder would be chosen by the electors of the state every four years.
  2. ^ Governor of Alabama Territory appointed by President James Monroe.
  3. ^ Treasurer of Alabama Territory.
  4. ^ Delegate from Alabama Territory.
  5. ^ Secretary of Alabama Territory.
  6. ^ a b c d e Died in office.
  7. ^ a b c As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
  8. ^ Resigned.
  9. ^ a b Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  10. ^ Resigned following appointment to the Circuit Court bench.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Appointed to fill a vacancy.
  12. ^ Democrat who opposed party leaders and ran as an independent.
  13. ^ Arrested by Union forces soon after the American Civil War ended in May 1865; was released a few weeks later.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Initially appointed to fill vacancy, later elected in his own right.
  15. ^ Provisional governor appointed by the Union occupation; between Watts's arrest and Parsons' appointment, Alabama had no governor, instead being under direct rule of General George Henry Thomas.
  16. ^ The United States Congress stripped Patton of most of his authority in March 1867, after which time the state was effectively under the control of Major General Wager Swayne.
  17. ^ Military governor appointed during Reconstruction; though Patton was still officially governor, he was mostly a figurehead. The term start date given is the date of the first of the Reconstruction Acts, which placed Alabama into the Third Military District; all references only say "March 1867."
  18. ^ a b Robert Lindsay was sworn into office on November 26, 1870, but William H. Smith refused to leave his seat for two weeks, claiming Lindsay was fraudulently elected, finally leaving office on December 8, 1870, when a court so ordered.
  19. ^ Initial returns showed a 19-14 Democratic majority, but was overturned in a series of contests through March 1873.
  20. ^ Initial returns showed a 54-46 Democratic majority, but was overturned in a series of contests through March 1873.
  21. ^ Position of lieutenant governor was eliminated in 1875, effective at the end of the then-present term in November 1876, and was reestablished upon the adoption of the Alabama Constitution in 1901.
  22. ^ Position of lieutenant governor was eliminated in 1875, effective at the end of the then-present term in November 1876, and was reestablished upon the adoption of the Alabama Constitution in 1901.
  23. ^ Acting governor for 26 days. Jelks was president of the state Senate when William J. Samford was out of state at the start of his term seeking medical treatment.
  24. ^ As president of the state Senate, filled unexpired term and was subsequently elected in his or her own right.
  25. ^ Gubernatorial terms were increased from two to four years during Jelks' governorship; his first term was filling out Samford's two-year term, and he was subsequently elected in 1902 for a four-year term.
  26. ^ Acting governor from April 25, 1904 until March 5, 1905 while Jelks was out of state for medical treatment.
  27. ^ Acting governor for two days—July 10 and 11, 1924—while Brandon was out of state for 21 days as a delegate to the 1924 Democratic National Convention.
  28. ^ Wallace left the state for 20 days for medical treatment; as lieutenant governor, Brewer became acting governor on July 25, 1967. Wallace returned to the state later that day.
  29. ^ a b c As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  30. ^ Acting governor for 32 days, from June 5 until July 7, 1972. Beasley was lieutenant governor when Wallace spent 52 days in Maryland for medical treatment following an assassination attempt while campaigning for president of the United States.
  31. ^ Removed from office upon being convicted of illegally using campaign and inaugural funds to pay personal debts; he was later pardoned by the state parole board based on innocence.
  32. ^ Sens. John Amari, Frank "Butch" Ellis, and switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[15]
  33. ^ a b Resigned to accept U.S. Senate seat.
  34. ^ Switched parties from Democratic to Republican in December 1994.
  35. ^ Reps. H. Mac Gipson and Ronald "Ron" Johnson switch parties from Democratic to Republican.
  36. ^ Resigned to become United States Attorney General.
  37. ^ Sens. Chip Bailey and Steve Windom switched parties from Democratic to Republican before the 1998 session.
  38. ^ Reps. Gerald Allen, Steve Flowers, and Tim Parker Jr. switch parties from Democrat to Republican.[16]
  39. ^ Bennett ran as a Democrat in 1994 and as a Republican in 1998. He might have switched parties between those elections.
  40. ^ Sen. Jeff Enfinger switched parties from Republican to Democratic.[17]
  41. ^ A Republican won a special election, flipping a seat from the Democrats.
  42. ^ Rep. Blaine Galliher switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[18]
  43. ^ Rep. Johnny Ford switched parties from Democratic to Republican right after the election, becoming the first black Republican legislator in Alabama in over a century. He resigned in 2004 and was succeeded by Democrat Pebblin Warren before the 2005 session. At the same time, Republican Nick Williams succeed longtime Democratic Rep. Jeff Dolbare in a special election, leaving the overall House partisan composition unchanged.[19][20][21]
  44. ^ Democratic Rep. Jack Venable died, and was succeeded by Republican Barry Mask, flipping the seat from Democratic to Republican.[22]
  45. ^ Sen. Jimmy Holley switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[23]
  46. ^ Paul Sanford succeeded Parker Griffith after he resigned to take a Congressional seat, flipping a seat from Democratic to Republican. Sen. Harri Anne Smith was thrown out by the Republicans and became an Independent at around the same time after crossing party lines to endorse Democrat Bobby Bright in his successful run for Congress.
  47. ^ Sen. Jim Preuitt switched parties from Democratic to Republican in the lead-up to the general election.
  48. ^ Democratic Reps. Sue Schmitz and Lea Fite resigned and died, and were succeeded in special elections by Republicans Phil Williams and K. L. Brown, respectively, before the 2010 session.
  49. ^ Rep. Parker Griffith switched parties from Democratic to Republican.
  50. ^ Resigned per the terms of a plea deal after being convicted of using state resources to facilitate and conceal an extramarital affair with a former staffer.
  51. ^ Four representatives, Alan Boothe, Steve Hurst, Mike Millican, and Lesley Vance, switched parties from Democratic to Republican right after the election. Between the 2011 and 2012 sessions Rep. Daniel Boman switched parties from Republican to Democratic, and Rep. Alan Harper switched parties from Democratic to Republican, leaving the partisan composition of the House overall the same.
  52. ^ Sen. Jerry Fielding switched parties from Democratic to Republican.
  53. ^ Rep. Richard Laird switched parties from Democratic to Independent, and caucused with the Republicans.
  54. ^ Rep. Charles Newton switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[24]
  55. ^ Winner of the special election to fill the remainder of Jeff Sessions's term

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Joseph H. Taylor, "Populism and Disfranchisement in Alabama", The Journal of Negro History Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1949), pp. 410-427(subscription required)
  2. ^ J. Morgan Kousser.The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974
  3. ^ Glenn Feldman, The Disfranchisement Myth: Poor Whites and Suffrage Restriction in Alabama, Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2004, pp. 135–136
  4. ^ Stovall, Cotter, & Fisher, Alabama Political Almanac, p. 260, 1995
  5. ^ "Sue Bell Cobb considering running for governor". The Birmingham News. al.com. 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ "Commissioners". Psc.state.al.us. Archived from the original on 2009-07-18. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  8. ^ Special (2008-11-05). "Lucy Baxley wins Alabama Public Service Commission presidency, but recount possible". Birmingham News via al.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  9. ^ Jeff Amy, Press-Register. "Public Service Commission: Twinkle Cavanaugh, Terry Dunn join GOP sweep". al.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  10. ^ a b c d Georgia Anne Persons, editor, Race and Representation, Transaction Publishers, 1997, p. 185
  11. ^ "2006 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary Election Results - Alabama". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  12. ^ "2006 Gubernatorial Republican Primary Election Results - Alabama". Uselectionatlas.org. 2007-02-15. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  13. ^ a b c d "Alabama Sheriffs Association". Retrieved 2017-04-02.
  14. ^ "1968 Presidential General Election Results – Alabama". Uselectionatlas.org. 1968-11-05. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  15. ^ "Birmingham state senator switches to Republicans". The Gadsden Times. 1989-02-08. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  16. ^ Stevenson, Tommy (2002-01-06). "After 12 years, Parker won't seek 4th term". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  17. ^ Strope, Leigh (2000-05-14). "Democrats warm to idea of Republicans jumping ship". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  18. ^ Beyerle, Dana (2001-09-07). "Galliher makes party switch official". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  19. ^ [2][dead link]
  20. ^ Beyerle, Dana (2005-02-15). "New Republican PAC files finance report after deadline". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  21. ^ Yoshinaka, Antoine (2016). Crossing the Aisle: Party Switching by U.S. Legislators in the Postwar Era. p. 88. ISBN 9781107115897. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  22. ^ "Mask's win a sign of things to come". Shelby County Reporter. 2006-03-07. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  23. ^ Cook, Jim (2008-01-11). "Jimmy Holley switches to Republican party". Dothan Eagle. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  24. ^ Lyman, Brian (2014-02-07). "Charles Newton, longtime Democratic representative, switches to GOP". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2017-04-20.

External links[]

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