Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Alabama's 4th Congressional District election, 2020

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search



2022
2018
Alabama's 4th Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
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:
Robert Aderholt (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 4th Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th
Alabama elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

All U.S. congressional districts, including the 4th Congressional District of Alabama, held elections in 2020.

Incumbent Robert Aderholt won election in the general election for U.S. House Alabama District 4.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
November 8, 2019
March 3, 2020
November 3, 2020


Heading into the election the incumbent was Republican Robert Aderholt, who was first elected in 1996.


The 4th District is located in the northern portion of the state and stretches horizontally across the state. The district includes Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, Marshall, Walker, and Winston counties as well as parts of Blount, Cherokee, Jackson, and Tuscaloosa counties.[1]

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Alabama's 4th Congressional District, 2020
Race Presidential U.S. House
Democratic candidate Democratic Party 17.8 17.7
Republican candidate Republican Party 81.2 82.2
Difference 63.4 64.5

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 absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Any qualified voter could cast an absentee ballot in the general election.
  • Candidate filing procedures: The petition deadline for unaffiliated presidential candidates was extended to August 20, 2020.

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

Explore Election Results site ad border blue.png

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Alabama District 4

Incumbent Robert Aderholt defeated Rick Neighbors in the general election for U.S. House Alabama District 4 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Aderholt
Robert Aderholt (R)
 
82.2
 
261,553
Image of Rick Neighbors
Rick Neighbors (D)
 
17.7
 
56,237
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
239

Total votes: 318,029
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

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Rick Neighbors advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 4.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert Aderholt advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 4.

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+30, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 30 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Alabama's 4th Congressional District the fifth most Republican nationally.[2]

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 0.86. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.86 points toward that party.[3]

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[4] 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.[5] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Robert Aderholt Republican Party $1,283,402 $1,352,138 $647,004 As of December 31, 2020
Rick Neighbors Democratic Party $48,943 $47,909 $1,034 As of December 31, 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.


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.[6]
  • 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.[7][8][9]

Race ratings: Alabama's 4th 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.

Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 4th Congressional District candidates in Alabama in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Alabama, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Alabama 4th Congressional District Democratic N/A N/A $3,480.00 2% of base salary 11/8/2019 Source
Alabama 4th Congressional District Republican N/A N/A $3,480.00 2% of base salary 11/8/2019 Source
Alabama 4th Congressional District Unaffiliated 6,998 3% of qualified electors who voted for governor in the last general election N/A N/A 3/3/2020 Source


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states. No counties in Alabama are Pivot Counties.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Alabama with 62.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 34.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Alabama voted Democratic 53.33 percent of the time and Republican 40 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Alabama voted Republican all five times.

District election history

2018

See also: Alabama's 4th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Alabama District 4

Incumbent Robert Aderholt defeated Lee Auman in the general election for U.S. House Alabama District 4 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Aderholt
Robert Aderholt (R)
 
79.8
 
184,255
Image of Lee Auman
Lee Auman (D) Candidate Connection
 
20.1
 
46,492
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
222

Total votes: 230,969
(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 4

Lee Auman defeated Rick Neighbors in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 4 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lee Auman
Lee Auman Candidate Connection
 
54.1
 
8,609
Image of Rick Neighbors
Rick Neighbors
 
45.9
 
7,297

Total votes: 15,906
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 4

Incumbent Robert Aderholt defeated Anthony Blackmon in the Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 4 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Robert Aderholt
Robert Aderholt
 
81.5
 
93,959
Image of Anthony Blackmon
Anthony Blackmon
 
18.5
 
21,366

Total votes: 115,325
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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2016

See also: Alabama's 4th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Robert Aderholt (R) was unopposed in the general election, as no Democratic candidates filed to run. Aderholt defeated Phil Norris in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.[10][11][12]

U.S. House, Alabama District 4 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Aderholt Incumbent 98.5% 235,925
     N/A Write-in 1.5% 3,519
Total Votes 239,444
Source: Alabama Secretary of State


U.S. House, Alabama District 4 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Aderholt Incumbent 81.2% 86,660
Phil Norris 18.8% 20,096
Total Votes 106,756
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

2014

See also: Alabama's 4th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 4th Congressional District of Alabama held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Robert Aderholt ran unopposed in the general election.

U.S. House, Alabama District 4 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Aderholt Incumbent 98.6% 132,831
     N/A Write-in 1.4% 1,921
Total Votes 134,752
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
  2. Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  3. FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  4. 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.
  5. Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  6. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  7. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  8. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  9. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  10. The New York Times, "Alabama Primary Results," accessed March 1, 2016
  11. Alabama Republican Party, "2016 Qualified Alabama Republican Candidates," accessed November 10, 2015
  12. Alabama Democrats, "Qualified Democratic Candidates as of November 6, 2015," accessed November 10, 2015


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Republican Party (7)
Democratic Party (2)