Full Breakdown
Alabama and Georgia Primary Runoffs Determine 2026 Senate and Gubernatorial Contests
6/15/2026, 10:54:48 PM
Runoff Elections Set for June 16, 2026
Alabama and Georgia will hold party-primary runoffs on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. The contests will finalize Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, and several state legislative seats. In Alabama, the runoff follows a May 19 primary in which no candidate reached a 50 % threshold; in Georgia, the same rule applies after the May 19 primary.
Key Races and Candidates
- Alabama U.S. Senate (R): Rep. Barry Moore (39 % of the primary) versus former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson (26 %). State Attorney General Steve Marshall placed third with 25 %.
- Georgia U.S. Senate (R): Rep. Mike Collins (41 %) versus former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley (30 %); former Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter trailed at 25 %.
- Georgia Governor (R): Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (38 %) versus health-care executive Rick Jackson (33 %).
- Alabama Democratic Senate: Entrepreneur Dakarai Larriett (29 %) versus attorney Everett Wess (40 %).
Additional runoffs include Alabama lieutenant governor (Wes Allen vs. John Wahl) and agriculture commissioner (Corey Hill vs. Christina Woerner McInnis).
Voting Rules and Turnout Data
Alabama requires voters who participated in a May 19 primary to remain with the same party in the runoff; crossover voting is prohibited. The state does not offer in-person early voting and recorded only 4 % Democratic and 1 % Republican absentee ballots in the 2024 primaries. Approximately 3.8 million Alabamians are registered; the May 19 Republican Senate primary attracted about 482 000 voters, the lieutenant-governor primary 474 000, and the Democratic Senate primary 340 000.
Georgia permits same-party voting but allows early in-person and mail voting, which comprised roughly 46 % of the May 19 primary total. About 8.1 million voters are registered. The Republican primary for governor drew 934 000 votes; the Republican Senate primary 913 000. Early-vote tallies for the June 16 runoff show roughly 119 000 Democratic and 222 000 Republican ballots already cast.
Endorsements and Their Influence
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Barry Moore, Mike Collins, and Burt Jones. The endorsements are framed as decisive assets in a state where Trump secured two-thirds of the 2024 presidential vote. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp backed Derek Dooley for Senate and Burt Jones for governor. In Alabama, Moore’s lead in Madison County (34 % vs. Hudson’s 22 %) and his 39 % statewide primary share are attributed partly to Trump’s backing.
Official Election Procedures
The Associated Press decision team will not project winners; it will declare a victor only when no mathematical scenario can reverse the lead. In Alabama, an automatic recount law does not apply to primaries per a 2010 attorney-general opinion. Georgia permits a recount request if the margin is <=0.5 % of the total vote. AP reported the 2022 Alabama runoff results within 28 minutes of poll closure and the 2024 Georgia governor primary results within 13 minutes.
Criticism of Early-Voting Policies
Observers note Alabama’s lack of early voting limits voter access, especially for rural and low-income voters. Critics argue that the state’s minimal absentee-ballot usage (?5 % in 2024) suppresses participation compared with Georgia’s 46 % early-vote share.
Conflicting Polls and Uncertainties
Georgia governor polls released in early June show Rick Jackson ahead by 10 points in one survey, while other polls list Burt Jones with a 2-point lead. Alabama Senate polling is sparse; some internal surveys suggest Hudson may have closed the gap, whereas others still favor Moore. The AP team will monitor these discrepancies as votes are tallied.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We may have switched the front-runners three times,” — Bill Armistead, former Alabama GOP chair
- “On the one hand, the weight of the president’s endorsement has put Barry Moore where he is,” — Bill Armistead
- “really caught on with the people of Alabama.” — Bill Armistead
- “greatest president in my lifetime,” — Barry Moore, referring to Donald Trump
What’s Next
Special congressional primaries for Alabama’s 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th districts are scheduled for August 11, 2026. All runoff winners will appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot, where control of the U.S. Senate and the Georgia governorship will be decided.
