U.S. Rep. Barry Moore won Alabama’s Republican Senate primary runoff on June 16, capturing the GOP nomination with roughly 59% of the vote, according to Alabama primary election results. Moore defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, who received about 41% of the vote, to advance to November’s general election for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
Moore, who represents Alabama’s 1st Congressional District, benefited from an endorsement by President Donald Trump. According to the Alabama Reflector, Moore had 153,357 votes compared to Hudson’s 107,844 votes as of 9:17 p.m. on election night. Moore won counties across the Wiregrass region where he currently serves in the House, along with strong support along the coast and in the state’s northwest corner.
The race became contentious in its final weeks. Attack ads titled “Stolen Valor” questioned Moore’s military service record, claiming he had misled the public. Moore served in the Alabama Army National Guard from 1988 to 1991 and in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1991 to 1997, retiring as a Staff Sergeant, but was never deployed to combat. In 2020, he said he wore combat boots. Hudson served as a Navy SEAL sniper from 2006 to 2013 and was deployed to Afghanistan and the Philippines during the Global War on Terror, according to the Alabama Reflector’s reporting.
Moore campaigned on ending congressional stock trading, strengthening borders, and lowering inflation through debt reduction. After his victory, he thanked supporters and said he looked forward to working with other Alabama Republicans. Hudson, who ran as a political outsider with over 1,000 volunteers and more than 95,000 phone calls made during the runoff, had campaigned on passing the SAVE America Act, implementing congressional term limits, and banning congressional stock trading.
On the Democratic side, attorney Everett Wess won his party’s runoff, defeating small business owner Dakarai Larriett to secure the Democratic nomination. Wess and Moore will face each other in the November 3 general election for the open Senate seat. The seat has been held by Republicans for the past 30 years, except for former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’ tenure from 2017 to 2021.
Sources
- Alabama Reflector — Moore’s victory margins, vote totals (153,357 to 107,844), Trump endorsement, Moore’s military service details, attack ad controversy, Hudson’s military background, and campaign platforms
- NBC News — Trump endorsement confirmation and Moore’s projected victory
- CBS News — Moore’s runoff win confirmation
- WBMA (ABC 3340) — Everett Wess’s Democratic runoff victory
- WSFA — Wess’s Democratic nomination confirmation
