The 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Alabama. Incumbent senator Richard Shelby was first elected in 1986 and re-elected in 1992 as a Democrat before becoming a Republican in 1994. In February 2021, Shelby announced that he would not seek re-election to a seventh term, which resulted in the first open Senate seat since 1996 and the first in this seat since 1968.
Primary elections in Alabama were held on May 24, with Will Boyd securing the Democratic nomination. However, as none of the Republican candidates received at least 50% of the vote, a runoff election occurred on June 21 between the top two candidates of the first round: attorney Katie Britt and U.S. representative Mo Brooks. Britt won the runoff against Brooks and subsequently became the Republican nominee.
Britt's victory in the Republican Party primary was seen as tantamount to election in Alabama, which is a heavily Republican state. Britt won the general election and became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in the state's history.
Republican primary Early polling showed U.S. Representative Mo Brooks as the frontrunner in the race, and he received the endorsement of former president Donald Trump. However, in November, the race started becoming increasingly closer with former chief of staff to incumbent senator Richard Shelby, Katie Britt, running neck and neck with Brooks. In March 2022, businessman and former pilot Michael Durant took the lead in the race, with Brooks only just beginning to spend money on television advertisements. On March 23, 2022, with Brooks polling in third place, Trump revoked his endorsement and promised to endorse a new candidate. In his official statement, Trump slammed Brooks for wanting to move past the 2020 United States presidential election, and claimed he went "woke" on it. There was speculation that Trump withdrew his endorsement because he did not want to be associated with a losing campaign. Brooks claimed that Trump had told him to reinstate him as president and that Trump had been manipulated by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Brooks attacked Britt as allegedly being weak on illegal immigration and supporting higher taxes, while Brooks' critics frequently point to his long career in politics, having been in office for 40 years. In May, a planned debate between the three candidates was canceled after Durant declined to attend. A runoff election took place on June 21 as none of the candidates managed 50% of the vote needed to win the nomination outright, with Britt becoming the Republican nominee.
Candidates
Nominee Katie Britt, former president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama; former chief of staff to outgoing senator Richard Shelby
Eliminated in runoff Mo Brooks, U.S. representative for (2011–2023) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2017
Eliminated in initial primary Lillie Boddie Karla DuPriest, businesswoman Michael Durant, businessman, former U.S. Army pilot, and author Jake Schafer, author and psychologist
Withdrawn Lynda Blanchard, United States Ambassador to Slovenia (2019–2021) (ran for governor) Mike Dunn, U.S. Marine Corps veteran (ran for Alabama Senate; endorsed Durant) Jessica Taylor, businesswoman and candidate for in 2020 (endorsed Durant, later Brooks)
Declined Robert Aderholt, U.S. Representative for (1997–present) (ran for re-election) Will Ainsworth, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama (2019–present) (ran for re-election) John Merrill, Alabama Secretary of State (2015–2023) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 Barry Moore, U.S. Representative for (2021–present) (ran for re-election; endorsed Brooks) Jeff Sessions, former U.S. Attorney General (2017–2018) and former U.S. Senator (1997–2017) Richard Shelby, incumbent U.S. Senator (1987–2023) (endorsed Britt)
Endorsements
Debates and forums + 2022 Alabama Republican U.S. Senate primary debates and forums Date Host Link Participants Participant Absent Non-invitee Invitee Withdrawn Not yet entered race Blanchard Britt Brooks Dunn Durant Taylor 1 Sep 15, 2021 Coffee County Republican Women WTVY AOA 2 Sep 28, 2021 Alabama Public Employees' Advocacy LeagueWHNTWHNT A 3 Feb 19, 2022 Alabama Republican Party N/AW W W 4 Feb 28, 2022 Butler County Republican Party N/A A 5 Mar 22, 2022 Tallapoosa County Republican Party N/A A 6 Mar 24, 2022 Houston County Republican Party N/A A 7 Apr 25, 2022 Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce N/AA A
First round Polling Graphical summary
Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdated KatieBritt MoBrooks MikeDurant OtherMarginReal Clear PoliticsMay 15–21, 2022May 24, 202234.7%28.7%25.3%11.3%Britt +6.0 Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error LyndaBlanchard KatieBritt MoBrooks MikeDurant JessicaTaylor Other UndecidedThe Trafalgar Group (R)May 18–21, 20221,060 (LV)± 2.9%–36%28%23%–4%9%McLaughlin & Associates (R)May 16–19, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%–37%25%24%––13%Cygnal (R)May 15–16, 2022634 (LV)± 3.9%–31%29%24%–6%10%Emerson CollegeMay 15–16, 2022706 (LV)± 3.6%–32%25%26%–3%14%McLaughlin & Associates (R)May 9–12, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%–37%21%31%––12%Cygnal (R)May 6–7, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%–32%23%21%–9%16%Moore Information Group (R)May 2–5, 2022400 (LV)± 5.0%–27%20%20%–9%24%McLaughlin & Associates (R)May 2–5, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%–39%22%27%––12%Emerson CollegeMarch 25–27, 2022687 (LV)± 3.7%–23%12%33%–7%26%Cygnal (R)March 16–17, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%–28%16%35%–7%14%Wisemen Consulting (R)March 15–17, 2022– (LV)± 3.4%–27%23%29%–4%17%McLaughlin & Associates (R)March 10–13, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%–32%18%34%––17%Cherry Communications (R)February 2–6, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%–29%34%24%––13%Deep Root Analytics (R)Deep Root Analytics (R) January 29–31, 20222,088 (LV)± 2.1%–29%28%23%––20%WPA Intelligence (R)WPA Intelligence (R) January 25–27, 2022513 (LV)± 4.4%–25%35%30%––10% January 4, 2022 Taylor withdraws from the raceMcLaughlin & Associates (R)December 6–9, 2021500 (LV)± 4.5%–26%31%17%4%–22% December 2, 2021 Blanchard withdraws from the raceTargetPoint Consulting (R)November 3–8, 2021300 (LV)± 5.7%–31%30%12%7%–20%Cygnal (R)November 3–4, 2021650 (LV)± 3.8%1%24%22%9%1%4%39%The Strategy Group (R)November 1–4, 2021784 (LV)± 3.8%3%23%28%7%1%–31%Cygnal (R)October 21–22, 2021– (LV)––14%26%––––WPA Intelligence (R)WPA Intelligence (R)October 12–14, 2021506 (LV)± 4.4%5%12%55%–5%–23%Public Opinion Strategies (R)August 24 – September 2, 2021600 (LV)± 4.6%3%11%41%–7%–39%Cygnal (R)August 17–18, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%2%18%41%–3%5%32%WPA Intelligence (R)April 26–27, 2021509 (LV)± 4.4%13%9%59%–––19%
Results
Runoff Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KatieBritt MoBrooks UndecidedMcLaughlin & Associates (R)June 13–16, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%58%33%9%Auburn University at MontgomeryJune 8–15, 2022400 (LV)± 4.9%50%30%20%Emerson CollegeJune 12–13, 20221,000 (LV)± 3.0%50%34%17%JMC Analytics (R)June 6–9, 2022630 (LV)± 3.9%51%39%10%McLaughlin & Associates (R)June 6–9, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%55%36%9%Cygnal (R)March 16–17, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%51%28%21%McLaughlin & Associates (R)December 6–9, 2021500 (LV)± 4.5%39%37%25%Cygnal (R)November 3–4, 2021650 (LV)± 3.8%35%29%36%Cygnal (R)October 21–22, 2021– (LV)–26%34%40%
Katie Britt vs. Mike Durant Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KatieBritt MikeDurant UndecidedCygnal (R)March 16–17, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%35%47%19% Mo Brooks vs. Mike Durant Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MoBrooks MikeDurant UndecidedCygnal (R)March 16–17, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%23%57%20%
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Will Boyd, former Greenville, Illinois city councilor and nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2018
Eliminated in primary Brandaun Dean, principal at Campaign X Policy and former mayor of Brighton (2016–2017) Lanny Jackson, retired veteran, university administrator and candidate for mayor of Birmingham in 2017
Removed from ballot Victor Keith Williams, activist, former law instructor and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia in 2020
Declined Doug Jones, former U.S. Senator (2018–2021) Terri Sewell, U.S. Representative for (2011–present) (ran for re-election)
Debates and forums + 2022 Alabama Democratic U.S. Senate primary debates and forums Date Host Moderator Link Participants Participant Absent Non-invitee Invitee Withdrawn Boyd Dean Jackson 1 Apr 07, 2022 DeKalb County Democratic Party N/A N/A A 2 Apr 25, 2022 Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce N/A N/A A
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error WillBoyd BrandaunDean LannyJackson VictorWilliams UndecidedEmerson CollegeMay 15–16, 2022294 (LV)± 5.7%26%15%11%–49%Emerson CollegeMarch 25–27, 2022359 (LV)± 5.1%11%5%7%11%67%
Results
Libertarian nomination No primary was held for the Libertarian Party, and candidates were instead nominated by the party.
Candidates Nominee John Sophocleus, former Auburn University professor and nominee for governor in 2002
Independents Candidates Declared Adam Bowers, forestry professor at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College and U.S. Marine Corps veteran (unaffiliated, write-in) Jarmal Jabber Sanders, reverend (unaffiliated, write-in)
General election
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report March 4, 2022 Inside Elections April 1, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball March 1, 2022PoliticoApril 1, 2022RCPJune 21, 2022Fox News May 12, 2022DDHQJuly 20, 2022538June 30, 2022The EconomistSeptember 7, 2022
Post-primary endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KatieBritt (R) WillBoyd (D) JohnSophocleus (L) UndecidedCygnal (R)October 27–29, 2022616 (LV)± 3.94%57%28%6% -
Results
By county