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Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (July 14 Republican primary runoff)

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Alabama's 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
Republican primary runoff
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: November 8, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020
Primary runoff: July 14, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Pre-election incumbent:
Bradley Byrne (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Alabama
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Alabama's 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th
Alabama elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

Jerry Carl defeated Bill Hightower in the July 14, 2020, Republican runoff election for Alabama's 1st Congressional District. Carl received 52% of the vote to Hightower's 48%.

The two advanced to a runoff following the March 3 Republican primary, where Carl received 38.7% of the vote to Hightower's 37.5%. A third candidate, Chris Pringle, who endorsed Carl in the runoff, received 19.2%. A candidate needed more than 50% of the vote to win the primary outright.

Todd Stacy with Alabama Daily News said, "The AL-1 race has evolved into a battle between the activist and business wings of the Republican Party," pointing to the endorsements made during the race.[1] Carl received endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of Alabama, and the 1st District's incumbent U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R).[2][3][4] Hightower received endorsements from the Club for Growth PAC, the National Right to Life, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).[5][6][7]

Carl was elected to the Mobile County Commission in 2012 and said he had been "a vocal fiscal hawk and advocate for pro-growth, job-creating policies."[8] In a campaign ad, Carl described himself as an outsider.[9] Carl said his experience running small businesses made him a problem solver. He also compared himself to the president.[10]

Hightower was a state senator for Alabama's 35th District from 2013-2018. He emphasized bills he introduced or sponsored during that time including proposals to ban the sale of fetal body parts and to institute term limits for Alabama state legislators.[11] His ads also referenced his faith and a Sunlight Foundation report listing him as having one of the more conservative voting records as a state senator.[12]

Satellite spending in the runoff came from two sources, primarily: Club for Growth Action and Right for Alabama PAC. Club for Growth Action spent over $1 million throughout the primary and runoff, roughly $230,000 supporting Hightower and $915,000 opposing Carl.[13] Organizers for Right for Alabama PAC said they formed the PAC in response to Club for Growth spending. The PAC began spending in June 2020 with roughly $110,000 spent on ads supporting Carl and opposing Hightower.[13]

Incumbent Rep. Byrne, first elected in 2013, ran for the Republican nomination in the 2020 U.S. Senate election, leaving the seat open.[14] Between 1920 and 2020, six candidates won election to represent the 1st District, with the average incumbent serving 16 years in office. Several race-tracking outlets rated the general election for the district Safe or Solid Republican, and Democrats held a 232-197 majority in the U.S. House. Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Carl
Hightower



This page focuses on Alabama's 1st Congressional District Republican primary runoff. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Democratic Party Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
Independent Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Alabama modified its primary runoff election date as follows:

  • Election postponements: The primary runoff election, originally scheduled for March 31, 2020, was postponed to July 14.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.


Candidates and election results


Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Alabama District 1

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jerry Carl
Jerry Carl
 
52.3
 
44,421
Image of Bill Hightower
Bill Hightower
 
47.7
 
40,552

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 84,973
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[15] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Jerry Carl

Image of Jerry Carl

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Mobile County Commissioner (Assumed office: 2012)

Biography:  Carl attended Lake City Community College in Lake City, Florida until 1978. He has started and sold businesses in the healthcare equipment, real estate, and timber fields.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

In his campaign ads, Carl said running small businesses made him a problem solver who is tough and has a backbone like President Trump.

Carl said during his time as county commissioner he had been "a vocal fiscal hawk and advocate for pro-growth, job-creating policies."

Carl said, if elected, he would "get the wall built, end handouts for lawbreaking illegals, and make sure we never have a sanctuary city in Alabama."

Carl said he would "stop socialists from pushing abortion on-demand and stealing our guns." 

Show sources

Sources: Jerry Carl 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 23, 2020, YouTube, Jerry Carl's channel, accessed February 23, 2020, YouTube, "Tough," February 11, 2020, YouTube, "FULL DEBATE: Alabama District 1 Congressional Debate," November 21, 2019; Jerry Carl 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed February 23, 2020, Republican Party of Alabama official website, "Jerry Carl Mobile County Commission Candidate," July 2, 2012, Fox 10, "Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl announces run for Congress," February 27, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alabama District 1 in 2020.

Bill Hightower

Image of Bill Hightower

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Alabama State Senate (2013-2018)

Biography:  Hightower graduated from the University of Southern Alabama in 1984 and received an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1990. As of the start of his campaign, he was a vice president of U.S. sales at Thermission, a company focused on zinc thermal diffusion coating.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Hightower described himself as a conservative, Christian state senator and small businessman.

Hightower said he was ranked one of the most conservative state senators in Alabama and touted specific bills he introduced or sponsored, including a ban on the sale of fetal body parts, provisions regarding faith-based adoptions, and legislative term limits.

Hightower said he was pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and would help President Trump build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Show sources

Sources: Hightower 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 23, 2020, Hightower 2020 campaign website, "Videos," accessed February 23, 2020; Montgomery Advertiser, "Bill Hightower wants to change the governing process," May 13, 2018, Thermission website, "Contact," accessed February 23, 2020, Hightower 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed February 23, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alabama District 1 in 2020.


Noteworthy primary endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Runoff endorsements

This table covers endorsements issued after the March 3 primary, but ahead of the July 14 runoff.

Runoff election endorsements
Endorsement Carl Hightower
Elected officials
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)[7] ✔
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.)[4] ✔
Republican primary candidate
and Alabama State Rep. Chris Pringle[16]		 ✔
Individuals
Republican primary candidate Wes Lambert[17] ✔
Organizations
National Right to Life[6] ✔
U.S. Chamber of Commerce[2] ✔


Primary endorsements

This table covers endorsements issued before the March 3 primary.

Republican primary endorsements
Endorsement Carl Castorani Hightower Lambert Pringle
Individuals
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.)[18] ✔
Organizations
Club for Growth PAC[19] ✔


Timeline

2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Jerry Carl

Carl's campaign website stated the following:

“

Protecting the 2nd Amendment

As an avid hunter, sportsman, and lifetime member of the NRA, Jerry Carl will fight to protect our 2nd Amendment rights, and the liberties enshrined by our forefathers. While gun-grabbing liberals work hard to take away our freedoms, Jerry will oppose any legislation that takes away your right to protect yourself and your loved ones.
  • Supports national concealed carry reciprocity.
  • Opposes legislation criminalizing the private transfer of firearms between friends and family members.
  • Supports the due process rights of all Americans and will fight any attempts to put individuals on secret government lists barring them from owning a firearm.

Fighting for the Unborn

Jerry Carl is a devoted Christian and deacon at his church who is saved by God’s grace. He believes every life is worth fighting for – born and unborn – and will fight to protect all life from the moment of conception.
  • Opposes any funding of Planned Parenthood and believes we must defund the abortion provider.
  • Will fight to protect all life from the moment of conception and will fight the radical left which is promoting abortion through the third trimester.
  • Supports promoting adoption services and will seek to remove the barriers which could place children in loving homes.

Build the Wall

As someone who has dealt with the effects of border security at one of the largest ports of entry in America, Jerry understands a country without secure borders is not a country at all. Simply put, Jerry believes we must build the wall and build it now. Congress has failed to act, and our porous border is allowing drugs, gangs, and individuals with no intention of contributing to society to freely flow into our country.
  • Will vote to fully fund the wall along our southern border and supports any available resource being deployed to keep our country safe – concrete barriers, drones, increased patrol, fully funding of ICE.
  • Supports establishing minimum sentencing requirements for those who enter the country illegally.
  • Opposes any efforts that would provide amnesty to those who have illegally entered our country.

Less Taxes

Jerry Carl is a fiscal conservative who has consistently opposed tax increases as a County Commissioner. As a successful small-business owner, Jerry knows that more taxes don’t create more jobs, they hurt our economy and affect the family budgets of hard-working Americans.
  • Will vote to make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent and fight the liberals who have proposed a tax rate of 90% on our job creators.
  • Believes we can continue simplifying our tax code so it is flatter and fairer for all Americans.
  • Wants to eliminate the Death Tax and expand deductions for retirement contributions.

Less Spending

Career politicians are spending our country into bankruptcy and causing our national debt to reach far into the trillions. As a small-businessman, Jerry believes Washington needs to live within its means, just like families and small-businesses do every day.
  • Supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.
  • Believes Members of Congress should go without pay unless Congress passes a balanced budget on time.
  • Will vote for legislation requiring an audit of the Federal Reserve.

Infrastructure

America’s roads, bridges, and waterways are crumbling because of neglect from Washington, and Alabama has a crisis on our hands if we can’t invest in our infrastructure needs soon. Our bridges and roads are not meeting the needs of our growing communities, and job creators will not invest in our communities if they don’t have the facilities they need to transport goods throughout Alabama and the country.
  • Supports bipartisan legislation that will return Alabama’s tax dollars to our state to repair our roads, bridges, and waterways so badly in need of help.
  • Will fight to build a new bridge between Baldwin and Mobile Counties easing traffic congestion and commute times.

Fighting for our Servicemen and Women

With family in the armed services, Jerry understands how important it is to keep the promises we made to our veterans and give them the healthcare and dignity they rightly deserve when they return home from service to our country.
  • Will fight to help veterans navigate the federal bureaucracy of health care and believes we must continue expanding ways for veterans to receive healthcare from private doctors.
  • Supports legislation for survivors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to receive treatment of their choice outside the VA system.
  • Supports all efforts to fully fund and rebuild our nation’s military at levels our generals believe is needed and will vote to provide the pay increases our men and women in military uniform deserve.

Healthcare

Americans are struggling to keep up with today’s rising healthcare costs and Congress has failed to act after years of promises. A one-size-fits-all approach with increased government regulation is not the answer, and as a small-businessman who has built several businesses in the healthcare field, Jerry is uniquely suited to fix our healthcare mess.
  • Repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all.
  • Oppose any efforts that would create a big government, Medicare for all system and instead supports efforts for a personalized, patient-centered approach that ensures competition, covers pre-existing conditions, and lowers the costs of healthcare premiums.
  • Allow small-businesses to work together and buy insurance across state lines so they are not hurt by costly state-mandated laws driving up premiums.

[36]

”
—Jerry Carl’s campaign website (2020)[37]

Bill Hightower

Hightower's campaign website stated the following:

“

Ranked among the most conservative legislators in Alabama. Bill Hightower, conservative Republican for Alabama's First Congressional District, supports limited government, lower taxes, and a balanced budgets. In the state senate he voted against every statewide tax increase, introduced legislative term limits, and even sponsored flat tax legislation. As a small businessman, Bill is guided by his belief in personal responsibility -- not a cycle of government dependence. He knows that Alabama wasn't built by people with their hands out, but rather by people putting their hands to work. In Congress, Bill will proudly stand with President Donald Trump and his efforts to continue growing our economy, cut wasteful government spending that is bankrupting future generations, and defend the sanctity and dignity of each and every life.

Fiscal Conservative
  • Opposes Obamacare and it's expansion in Alabama
  • Fought to pass flat tax and term limits legislation for Alabama
  • As State Senator, Bill voted against every statewide tax increase
Standing up for South Alabama
  • Passed common sense insurance reform
  • Supported the Port of Mobile expansion
Defending Life & Conservative Values
  • Authored the law protecting faith-based adoptions
  • Supports pro-life and pro-marriage values

Alabama Principles. Conservative Results.

Healthcare

Our current healthcare system of Obamacare is broken, and we must fully repeal and replace it. I support a plan to overhaul healthcare in the form of block grants to the state to enable them to innovate and develop more efficient ways of delivering care. The fact is that Washington has mismanaged one of the most important personal decisions Americans make. As a result, we have exploding costs and eroding care that is hurting hardworking Alabama families.
The radical, socialist ideas of liberals to socialize our healthcare system is exactly the wrong idea. We must innovate, not stifle our healthcare sector to ensure that costs are reduced, care is improved, and opportunities are opened for the people of south Alabama to receive the care they need. The goal should be putting patients and doctors back in charge of their own care.

Second Amendment

I am a proud constitutional conservative who understands that our Founders placed our Second Amendment where they did for a reason. Our Second Amendment is there to protect our First Amendment and as Lifetime Member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) I will proudly defend each and every American’s right to bear arms.

Alabama's Coast

We have a tremendous blessing and multiple opportunities because of our south Alabama coastline. But with that comes tremendous responsibility to protect our coast line, our ports, and our waterways to ensure that we maximize economic development in a responsible way.
We need to help our fellow Alabamians who live along the coast. As a State Senator, I worked tirelessly as an advocate for our coastal communities, successfully passing Coastal Insurance Reform legislation to expand insurance premium price discounts, create grants for homeowner roof fortification, increase tax-free catastrophic event savings account levels, and assist homeowners by providing innovative financing fortification improvements.

Strengthen Out Borders

I agree with President Trump 100% - we must secure our borders, we must build a wall along our southern border with Mexico, and we must end the dangerous trafficking of humans and drugs that are endangering not just our border communities but every American community.
As your next Congressman, I will proudly support President Trump’s efforts to build the wall and I will oppose Nancy Pelosi’s reckless open borders policies that are endangering Alabama communities.[38]

Taxes & Spending

One of the greatest threats to our nation’s future and to the future we owe our children and grandchildren is the federal government’s unwillingness to cut wasteful spending and reduce the national debt. The fact that Washington, DC is taking so much of our hard-earned money to feed their wasteful habits is shameful.
I believe that the people of Alabama, not the bureaucrats in Washington, know how to best spend our hard-earned money. I support President Trump’s victory to reform our tax code, but much more work is needed. I am committed to reducing our tax burden, eliminating wasteful spending, limited government, and being a watchdog in Congress for Alabama’s taxpayers.

Creating Jobs

I believe small government, low taxes and free enterprise creates the best environment for job growth. I also believe community colleges should play a key role in job training and economic development.
I believe small businesses create jobs, not the government, and we need to repeal excessive regulations on our job creators. I believe that policies should be enacted that encourage personal responsibility, not government dependence.

Protecting Life

I'm pro-life.
I know that life begins at conception and I believe in the dignity of each and every life. If we are truly a nation of opportunity and equality, then we must be a nation that values the dignity of each and every man, woman, and child. I have always been and will always be a proud voice for the unborn and will fight against the radical pro-abortion interests that have worked to dehumanize our most vulnerable – the unborn.[39]

[36]

”
—Bill Hightower's campaign website (2020)

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Jerry Carl

"Pelosi" - Carl campaign ad, released February 25, 2020[34]
"Tough" - Carl campaign ad, released February 11, 2020
"Problem Solver" - Carl campaign ad, released February 3, 2020
"Just Jerry" - Carl campaign ad, released January 22, 2020
"Jerry Carl for Congress Radio Ad" - Carl campaign ad, released November 6, 2019

Opposing Hightower

"Hightower disgusted with Trump" - Carl campaign ad, released June 26, 2020[21]
"Bill Hightower Stands with China" - Carl campaign ad, released June 16, 2020[22]
"Bill Hightower" - Carl campaign ad, released March 6, 2020


A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.

Bill Hightower

Supporting Hightower

"Trustworthy" - Hightower campaign ad, released June 9, 2020[23]
"Bill Hightower Campaigning for Donald Trump" - Hightower campaign ad, released April 8, 2020
[24]
"Words" - Hightower campaign ad, released March 2, 2020
"Uno30D" - Hightower campaign ad, released February 14, 2020
"Trinity30D" - Hightower campaign ad, released January 24, 2020
"Santorum Endorsement" - Hightower campaign ad, released January 20, 2020
"On the Issues" - Hightower campaign ad, released December 23, 2019
"The Conservative Fighter" - Hightower campaign ad, released December 19, 2019
"Personal Responsibility" - Hightower campaign ad, released July 18, 2019



Opposing Carl A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.

Satellite group ads

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[40] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[41] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jerry Carl Republican Party $2,344,517 $2,232,544 $111,973 As of December 31, 2020
Bill Hightower Republican Party $1,323,944 $1,323,944 $0 As of September 30, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[42][43][44]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • Club for Growth Action spent $146,916.48 on television advertisements in support of Hightower before the March 3 primary.[32][33] Following the primary and ahead of the July 14 runoff election, the group spent at least $910,518.90 on advertisements, mailings, and a door-to-door field program opposing Carl.[13] As of July 10, the group had spent over $1 million in this race.
  • Defend Conservatives PAC spent $11,656 between July 6 and 7 supporting Hightower.[13]
  • Right For Alabama PAC spent $29,000 on ads supporting Carl on June 23 and 24. According to Alabama Daily News, organizers said they formed the PAC "to help push back against the Club for Growth, a Washington-based political group that has endorsed Bill Hightower."[46] The FEC report indicated that in addition to supporting Carl, the ads opposed Hightower.[13] On July 2, the group spent an additional $79,966 on advertisements supporting Carl, followed by a $6,237 expenditure on July 8.[13]

The following graph shows the growth of satellite spending in this primary over time beginning January 1, 2020. The colored areas represent the cumulative amount spent either supporting or opposing Carl or Hightower at any given point of time. The blue area represents the amount spent supporting Hightower. Yellow and green indicate the amount spent opposing and supporting Carl, respectively.

To read this graph, mouse over the different areas to see expenditure dates according to FEC filings. The dollar amount provided is the total amount of satellite spending that had been spent supporting or opposing Carl or Hightower in the race at that point. For example, on January 27, an expenditure was made bringing the total amount supporting Hightower to $8,609. On March 4, $607,661 was spent opposing Carl. The primary took place on March 3. On March 18, Gov. Kay Ivey (R) postponed the runoff election from March 31 to July 14.

Debates and forums

January 23 candidate forum

On January 23, four Republican candidates—Carl, Castorani, Hightower, and Pringle—and two Democratic candidates—Kiani Gardner and Rick Collins—participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Baldwin County Chamber Coalition at Baldwin Realtors in Robertsdale.


Click the links below for roundups of the candidate forum from:

January 18 debate

On January 18, 2020, Carl, Castorani, Hightower, Lambert, and Pringle participated in a debate hosted by the Baldwin County Republican Party at the Daphne Civic Center in Daphe.

Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:

November 21, 2019, debate

On November 21, 2019, Carl, Castorani, Hightower, Lambert, and Pringle participated in a debate hosted by the Mobile County Republican Party at the J.C. Davis Municipal Auditorium in Chickasaw.

Official recording, November 21, 2019, debate - WKRG News 5

Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:

Primaries in Alabama

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Alabama uses an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[47][48][49]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Runoff elections in Alabama

In Alabama, a primary election candidate for congressional, state, or county office must receive a majority of the vote (more than 50%) to be declared the winner. If no candidate wins the requisite majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.[50]

As of 2020, the Alabama Secretary of State office stated that "if you vote in a primary election and want to vote in a primary runoff election, you must vote in the primary runoff election of the same political party that you chose in the primary election. However, if you did not vote in a political party's primary election and would like to vote in the primary runoff election, you may choose which political party's primary runoff election you would like to vote in."[51]


What's at stake in the general election?

U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.

At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.

In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.

In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[52]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[53][54][55]

Race ratings: Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+15, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 15 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Alabama's 1st Congressional District the 79th most Republican nationally.[56]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.90. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.90 points toward that party.[57]

District election history

2018

See also: Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Alabama District 1

Incumbent Bradley Byrne defeated Robert Kennedy Jr. in the general election for U.S. House Alabama District 1 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bradley Byrne
Bradley Byrne (R)
 
63.2
 
153,228
Image of Robert Kennedy Jr.
Robert Kennedy Jr. (D)
 
36.8
 
89,226
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
163

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 242,617
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 1

Robert Kennedy Jr. defeated Lizzetta Hill McConnell in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 1 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Robert Kennedy Jr.
Robert Kennedy Jr.
 
80.7
 
27,651
Image of Lizzetta Hill McConnell
Lizzetta Hill McConnell
 
19.3
 
6,592

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 34,243
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 1

Incumbent Bradley Byrne advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 1 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Image of Bradley Byrne
Bradley Byrne

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

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2016

See also: Alabama's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Bradley Byrne (R) was unopposed in the general election, as no Democratic candidates filed to run. Byrne defeated Dean Young in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.[58][59]

U.S. House, Alabama District 1 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngBradley Byrne Incumbent 96.4% 208,083
     N/A Write-in 3.6% 7,810
Total Votes 215,893
Source: Alabama Secretary of State


U.S. House, Alabama District 1 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBradley Byrne Incumbent 60.1% 71,310
Dean Young 39.9% 47,319
Total Votes 118,629
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

2014

See also: Alabama's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

The 1st Congressional District of Alabama held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Bradley Byrne (R) defeated Burton LeFlore (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Alabama District 1 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngBradley Byrne Incumbent 68.2% 103,758
     Democratic Burton LeFlore 31.7% 48,278
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 198
Total Votes 152,234
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

State profile

See also: Alabama and Alabama elections, 2020
USA Alabama location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of February 21, 2020.

Presidential voting pattern

  • Alabama voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

Alabama executives

Alabama legislature

Alabama Party Control: 1992-2025
Six years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R D D R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Alabama quick stats
More Alabama coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Alabama
 AlabamaU.S.
Total population:4,853,875316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):50,6453,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:68.8%73.6%
Black/African American:26.4%12.6%
Asian:1.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:1.7%3%
Hispanic/Latino:4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:84.3%86.7%
College graduation rate:23.5%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$43,623$53,889
Persons below poverty level:23.3%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Alabama.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Alabama Daily News, "U.S. Chamber endorses Jerry Carl in AL-1," July 1, 2020
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Alabama Daily News, "U.S. Chamber endorses Jerry Carl in AL-1," July 1, 2020
  3. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "BCA endorses Jerry Carl," June 19, 2020
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Alabama Today, "Bradley Byrne endorses Jerry Carl in GOP runoff for his District 1 seat," June 14, 2020
  5. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Bill Hightower" August 6, 2019
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Facebook, "Bill Hightower for Alabama," May 19, 2020
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Alabama Political Reporter, "Ted Cruz endorses Bill Hightower," May 15, 2020
  8. ↑ jerrycarlforcongress.com, "About," accessed February 23, 2020
  9. ↑ YouTube, "Jerry Carl for Congress Radio Ad," released November 6, 2019
  10. ↑ YouTube, "Tough," February 11, 2020
  11. ↑ YouTube, "UNO30D," released February 14, 2020
  12. ↑ AL.com, "Ranking the most conservative and most liberal members of the Alabama Senate: Today in politics," June 16, 2014
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Federal Election Commission, "Independent expenditures," accessed June 26, 2020
  14. ↑ NBC News, "GOP's Byrne to challenge Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama in 2020," February 20, 2019
  15. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 AL.com, "State Rep. Chris Pringle Endorses Jerry Carl," March 10, 2020
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 AL.com, "Wes Lambert endorses Jerry Carl in 1st District Congressional race," March 5, 2020
  18. ↑ YouTube, "SANTORUM ENDORSEMENT," January 20, 2020
  19. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Bill Hightower" August 6, 2019
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 [www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD-t1cgUdZ8 YouTube, "The Choice," July 2, 2020]
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 YouTube, "Hightower disgusted with Trump," June 26, 2020
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 YouTube, "Bill Hightower Stands with China," June 16, 2020
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 YouTube, "Trustworthy," June 9, 2020
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 YouTube, "Bill Hightower Campaigning for Donald Trump," April 8, 2020
  25. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Alabama governor announces new primary runoff election date," March 18, 2020
  26. ↑ AL.com, "Congressional campaigns adjust to coronavirus pandemic," March 16, 2020
  27. ↑ Facebook, "Jerry Carl Caught Lying Red-Handed," March 13, 2020
  28. ↑ YouTube, "Bill Hightower," March 6, 2020
  29. ↑ Youtube, "Like It Isn't," released March 5, 2020
  30. ↑ The New York Times, "Alabama Primary Election Results: First House District," accessed March 12, 2020
  31. ↑ YouTube, "WORDS," March 2, 2020
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Yellowhammer News, "Club for Growth drops ad touting AL-01 GOP hopeful Bill Hightower as a ‘fighter,'" February 26, 2020
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Federal Elections Commission, "Club for Growth Action 24/48 hour report of independent expenditures," February 20, 2020
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 WKRG News 5, "Pelosi prominent in Lower Alabama congressional ads," February 24, 2020
  35. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PrePrimary
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  37. ↑ Jerry Carl’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed February 18, 2020
  38. ↑ Bill Hightower's campaign website, “Border Security,” accessed February 18, 2020
  39. ↑ Bill Hightower's campaign website, “Issues,” accessed February 18, 2020
  40. ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  41. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  42. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  43. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  44. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  45. ↑ Federal Elections Commission, "Club for Growth PAC independent expenditures for Bill Hightower in 2019," accessed February 21, 2020
  46. ↑ Alabama Daily News, "Super PAC forms to help Carl in AL-1 runoff," June 17, 2020
  47. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 22, 2024
  48. ↑ Justia, "Alabama Code § 17-13-1," accessed July 22, 2024
  49. ↑ Justia, "Alabama Code § 17-3-30," accessed July 22, 2024
  50. ↑ Code of Alabama, "Section 17-13-18," accessed July 10, 2020
  51. ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "FAQs," accessed July 10, 2020
  52. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  53. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  54. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  55. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  56. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  57. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  58. ↑ The New York Times, "Alabama Primary Results," accessed March 1, 2016
  59. ↑ Alabama Republican Party, "U.S. House," accessed November 10, 2015


Alabama's current delegation to the United States Congress
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Katie Britt (R)
Tommy Tuberville (R)
Representatives
District 1
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District 3
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