The 2018 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018. Incumbent Governor Kay Ivey (R), who took office upon the resignation of Robert Bentley (R), ran for election to a full term and defeated Democratic Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox by a wide margin. Ivey was sworn in for her first full term on January 14, 2019.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared Tommy Battle, mayor of Huntsville Scott Dawson, evangelist Bill Hightower, state senator Kay Ivey, incumbent governor Michael McAllister, former prison officer (died April 2018)
Withdrew Slade Blackwell, state senator David Carrington, Jefferson County Commissioner Twinkle Cavanaugh, president of the Public Service Commission (running for lieutenant governor) Stacy Lee George, former Morgan County Commissioner and candidate for governor in 2014 Josh Jones, businessman John McMillan, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries (running for state treasurer)
Declined Rick Burgess, radio host Bill "Bubba" Bussey, radio host Bradley Byrne, U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 2010 (running for reelection) Mary Scott Hunter, member of the Alabama State Board of Education (running for the state senate after initially running for lieutenant governor) Del Marsh, president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate (running for reelection) Arthur Orr, state senator (running for reelection) Trip Pittman, state senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2017 Greg Reed, Majority Leader of the Alabama Senate (running for reelection) Luther Strange, former U.S. senator and former attorney general of Alabama Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn University football coach Cam Ward, state senator (running for reelection) Jim Zeigler, State Auditor of Alabama (running for reelection)
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error TommyBattle ScottDawson BillHightower KayIvey UndecidedThe Tarrance Group (R-Ivey) May 20–22, 2018 602 ± 4.1% 18% 7% 5% 58% 12%Leverage Public Strategies April 23–30, 2018 600 ± 3.9% 11% 9% 4% 47% 30%The Tarrance Group (R-Ivey) August 28–30, 2017 601 ± 4.1% 11% – 3% 66% 16%
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error TommyBattle YoungBoozer BillHightower MikeHubbard KayIvey TimJames DelMarsh JohnMcMillan JohnMerrill RoyMoore MarthaRoby LutherStrange Undecided/OtherPublic Insight Research July 2016 607 – 9% 2% – – – 3% 2% 3% 3% 28% 6% 19% 24%Public Insight Research July 2015 601 – – – – 4% – 4% 5% 2% 3% 32% – 19% 30%
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared Sue Bell Cobb, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Christopher A. Countryman, equality activist, former juvenile corrections officer and former pastor James C. Fields, former state representative and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014 Walt Maddox, mayor of Tuscaloosa Doug "New Blue" Smith, nominee for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in 2014 Anthony White, ordained minister
Withdrew Jason Childs, truck driver and former pastor
Declined Doug Jones, U.S. senator Terri Sewell, U.S. representative for Alabama's 7th Congressional District
Endorsements
Results
Independents
Candidates
Declared Tony Hewitt Jr., police officer Eric Lathan, security guard, Iraq War veteran and candidate for the Jefferson County Commission in 2010
Declined Mark Johnston, pastor, businessman and summer camp executive director
General election
Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Report October 26, 2018The Washington Post November 5, 2018FiveThirtyEight November 5, 2018Rothenberg Political Report November 1, 2018Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2018RealClearPolitics November 4, 2018Daily Kos November 5, 2018Fox News November 5, 2018Politico November 5, 2018Governing November 5, 2018
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KayIvey (R) WaltMaddox (D) UndecidedSurveyMonkey September 9–24, 2018 1,254 ± 3.8% 51% 26% 22%Research Consultants (R-FarmPAC) September 22, 2018 316 ± 5.5% 58% 38% 4%Cygnal (R) July 24–25, 2018 1,027 ± 3.1% 56% 42% 3%Neighborhood Research Corporation (R) June 12–14 and 18–21, 2018 440 ± 4.4% 53% 28% –ALG ResearchPoll released retroactively in May 2019 April 27 – May 2, 2018 601 ± 4.0% 59% 36% –
Results
By county CountyKay IveyRepublicanWalt MaddoxDemocraticWrite-inVariousMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Autauga13,99470.86%5,73429.03%210.11%8,26041.82%19,749Baldwin57,41573.61%20,46426.24%1180.15%36,95147.37%77,997Barbour4,33651.68%4,04348.19%110.13%2933.49%8,390Bibb5,08273.69%1,79926.09%150.22%3,28347.61%6,896Blount16,98487.08%2,47912.71%400.21%14,50574.37%19,503Bullock94925.77%2,72974.12%40.11%-1,780-48.34%3,682Butler4,81258.84%3,36341.12%30.04%1,44917.72%8,178Calhoun24,46066.04%12,48733.71%920.25%11,97332.33%37,039Chambers6,68759.01%4,62540.81%200.18%2,06218.20%11,332Cherokee6,97481.65%1,55218.17%150.18%5,42263.48%8,541Chilton11,29181.81%2,50118.12%100.07%8,79063.69%13,802Choctaw3,47556.68%2,64943.21%70.11%82613.47%6,131Clarke6,34456.44%4,88943.50%70.06%1,45512.94%11,240Clay4,16476.91%1,24122.92%90.17%2,92353.99%5,414Cleburne3,90288.20%50811.48%140.32%3,39476.72%4,424Coffee12,11775.86%3,78223.68%730.46%8,33552.19%15,972Colbert13,18063.04%7,69236.79%340.16%5,48826.25%20,906Conecuh2,47350.22%2,44449.63%70.14%290.59%4,924Coosa2,78564.56%1,52235.28%70.16%1,26329.28%4,314Covington9,85281.81%2,16818.00%220.18%7,68463.81%12,042Crenshaw3,87371.71%1,52228.18%60.11%2,35143.53%5,401Cullman24,36184.84%4,30915.01%430.15%20,05269.84%28,713Dale10,52873.59%3,73126.08%470.33%6,79747.51%14,306Dallas4,91732.31%10,29567.64%80.05%-5,378-35.34%15,220DeKalb17,31680.58%4,08719.02%870.40%13,22961.56%21,490Elmore21,75273.72%7,72226.17%310.11%14,03047.55%29,505Escambia8,09866.64%4,03533.20%190.16%4,06333.43%12,152Etowah24,04169.39%10,51330.34%920.27%13,52839.05%34,646Fayette5,45572.84%2,02527.04%90.12%3,43045.80%7,489Franklin6,46573.27%2,33626.48%220.25%4,12946.80%8,823Geneva7,78486.31%1,22013.53%150.17%6,56472.78%9,019Greene66115.86%3,50684.12%10.02%-2,845-68.26%4,168Hale2,36135.93%4,20664.00%50.08%-1,845-28.07%6,572Henry4,65569.33%2,04530.46%140.21%2,61038.87%6,714Houston23,11271.72%9,06228.12%530.16%14,05043.60%32,227Jackson12,07476.99%3,56922.76%390.25%8,50554.23%15,682Jefferson105,66140.94%152,10358.94%3040.12%-46,442-18.00%258,068Lamar4,39981.81%97418.11%40.07%3,42563.70%5,377Lauderdale20,69266.82%10,22233.01%510.16%10,47033.81%30,965Lawrence8,18168.16%3,79631.63%250.21%4,38536.54%12,002Lee29,23859.27%20,02140.58%740.15%9,21718.68%49,333Limestone23,21368.91%10,42130.93%530.16%12,79237.97%33,687Lowndes1,55530.82%3,48769.10%40.08%-1,932-38.29%5,046Macon1,37618.95%5,88281.02%20.03%-4,506-62.07%7,260Madison75,87453.57%65,52246.26%2440.17%10,3527.31%141,640Marengo4,02945.95%4,73554.00%50.06%-706-8.05%8,769Marion8,02180.90%1,87718.93%170.17%6,14461.97%9,915Marshall22,03180.72%5,19319.03%700.26%16,83861.69%27,294Mobile69,67152.19%63,65647.69%1580.12%6,0154.51%133,485Monroe5,03856.45%3,88143.49%50.06%1,15712.97%8,924Montgomery28,49136.87%48,72263.05%620.08%-20,231-26.18%77,275Morgan28,41571.82%11,09128.03%570.14%17,32443.79%39,563Perry1,06124.99%3,18274.94%30.07%-2,121-49.95%4,246Pickens4,63655.75%3,67244.16%80.10%96411.59%8,316Pike6,22659.79%4,17640.10%110.11%2,05019.69%10,413Randolph5,72975.38%1,85924.46%120.16%3,87050.92%7,600Russell7,16847.63%7,86452.26%170.11%-696-4.62%15,049Shelby56,98967.81%26,92832.04%1250.15%30,06135.77%84,042St. Clair23,52978.50%6,38921.32%550.18%17,14057.18%29,973Sumter1,28923.68%4,15176.26%30.06%-2,862-52.58%5,443Talladega15,62159.50%10,60640.40%270.10%5,01519.10%26,254Tallapoosa10,70367.99%5,01531.86%250.16%5,68836.13%15,743Tuscaloosa34,33549.91%34,33649.91%1220.18%-1-0.00%68,793Walker17,67176.24%5,46823.59%380.16%12,20352.65%23,177Washington4,72968.46%2,17231.44%70.10%2,55737.02%6,908Wilcox1,57733.42%3,13866.50%40.08%-1,561-33.08%4,719Winston6,58085.38%1,10214.30%250.32%5,47871.08%7,707Totals1,022,45759.46%694,49540.39%2,6370.15%327,96219.07%1,719,589
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Tuscaloosa County (largest city: Tuscaloosa) Jefferson County (largest city: Birmingham)
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Barbour County (largest city: Eufaula)
By congressional district Ivey won six of seven congressional districts. District Ivey Maddox Representative 61% 39%Bradley Byrne 64% 36%Martha Roby 63% 37%Mike Rogers 75% 25%Robert Aderholt 61% 39%Mo Brooks 64% 35%Gary Palmer 27% 73%Terri Sewell
See also 2018 Alabama elections
References
External links Candidates at Vote Smart Candidates at Ballotpedia
Official gubernatorial campaign websites Tony Hewitt, Jr. (I) for Governor Kay Ivey (R) for Governor Walt Maddox (D) for Governor Chad "Chig" Martin (I) for Governor