U.S. Rep. Barry Moore won the Alabama GOP nomination for U.S. Senate on June 16, defeating former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson with approximately 58.7% of the vote in a competitive Republican primary runoff.
Moore, a congressman from Enterprise who was first elected to the House in 2020, had secured Trump’s endorsement in January. Trump held a tele-rally for Moore last week and reiterated his backing in a Truth Social post Monday, calling the congressman “an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning,” according to NBC News. Moore’s campaign featured Trump’s endorsements prominently in multiple advertisements.
Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper and CEO of groups focused on law enforcement and firearms instruction, ran as a political outsider and attempted to tap into anti-establishment sentiment. He had unsuccessfully run for Jefferson County sheriff in 2022. Hudson campaigned on passing the SAVE America Act, which would require multiple documents for voter registration, congressional term limits, and banning congressional stock trading, according to Alabama Reflector.
The two candidates were forced into a runoff after no one secured more than 50% of the vote in a crowded May 19 primary field. Moore had placed first in that initial primary, beating Hudson by about 13.6 percentage points, according to polling reported by Club for Growth. In the runoff, Moore won strong support in the Wiregrass region, where he currently represents, as well as along the coast and in the state’s northwest corner, Alabama Reflector reported.
The runoff campaign turned negative. An outside group aligned with Hudson aired attack ads accusing Moore of “stolen valor” related to his military service record. Moore served in the Alabama Army National Guard from 1988 to 1991 and in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1991 to 1997, but was not deployed to combat. NBC News reported that Moore’s campaign released documentation of his service and clarified that he was discharged with the rank of E-6 Staff Sergeant.
The Senate seat opened after incumbent Tommy Tuberville announced he was running for governor. Moore is now the heavy favorite in the general election this fall, as no Democrat has won a full Senate term in Alabama since Richard Shelby’s 1992 re-election, according to Axios. The general election will be held on November 3, 2026.
Sources
- NBC News — Moore’s runoff victory, Trump’s endorsement and tele-rally, Moore’s military service record
- Alabama Reflector — Final vote totals (58.7% for Moore, 41.3% for Hudson), regional voting patterns, campaign positions
- Axios — Moore’s victory, Trump’s endorsement, historical context on Alabama Senate elections
- Club for Growth — May 19 primary margin (Moore beat Hudson by 13.6 percentage points)
