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Alabama State Senate District 5
Alabama State Senate District 5 is represented by Matt Woods (R).
As of the 2020 Census, Alabama state senators represented an average of 143,716 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 137,228 residents.
About the office
Alabama's senators serve without term limits for four-year terms. Alabama's state senators assume office the day following their election.[1]
Qualifications
Members of the Alabama State Senate must be at least 25 years of age at the time of their election, registered voters, U.S. citizens for at least one day, residents of the State of Alabama for at least three years, and residents of their district at least one year prior to the general election.[2]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[3] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $62,212/year | No per diem is paid to legislators whose permanent residence is less than six hours away. The daily rate is $12.75 for 6–12 hour trips and $34 for non-overnight trips over 12 hours. Overnight per diem is $85 for one night or $100 per day for two or more nights. |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Alabama State Legislature, a special election must generally be conducted in order to fill the vacant seat. In the event that a vacancy occurs on or after October 1 in the year of a regular election, the seat will remain vacant until filled at the regular election. Otherwise, the governor must call for a special election if the vacancy happens before the next scheduled general election and the Legislature is in session.[4][5][6] The governor has all discretion in setting the date of the election along with the nominating deadlines.[6][7]
See sources: Alabama Code § 17-15-1
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On August 22, 2025, the district court struck down the state senate map as a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.[8] On November 17, 2025, the court imposed a remedial map and ordered the state to use it in the 2026 and 2030 elections.[9]
Alabama enacted state legislative maps for the state Senate and House of Representatives on Nov. 4, 2021, after Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed the proposals into law.[10] Senators approved the Senate map on Nov. 1 with a 25-7 vote.[11] Representatives approved the Senate map on Nov. 3 with a 76-26 vote.[10] For the House proposal, representatives voted 68-35 in favor on Nov. 1 and senators followed on Nov. 3 with a 22-7 vote.[12] These maps took effect for Alabama's 2022 legislative elections.
How does redistricting in Alabama work? The Alabama State Legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Both chambers of the state legislature must approve a single redistricting plan. State legislative district lines must be approved in the first legislative session following the United States Census. There is no statutory deadline for congressional redistricting. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[13]
The Alabama Constitution requires that state legislative district lines be contiguous. In addition, the state constitution mandates that state Senate districts "follow county lines except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements."[13]
In 2000, according to All About Redistricting, the legislative committee charged with redistricting "adopted guidelines ... asking that [congressional] districts be contiguous, reasonably compact, follow county lines where possible, and maintain communities of interest to the extent feasible." In addition, the committee agreed to "attempt to avoid contests between incumbents." Similar guidelines apply to state legislative redistricting. At its discretion, the state legislature may change these guidelines, which are non-binding.[13]
Alabama State Senate District 5
until November 8, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Alabama State Senate District 5
starting November 9, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2025
A special election for Alabama State Senate District 5 was called for June 24, 2025. A primary was scheduled for March 11, 2025. A primary runoff was scheduled for April 8, 2025, but it was not necessary. The candidate filing deadline for the primary was January 7, 2025. The Republican primary was canceled after only one candidate filed. The candidate filing deadline for the general election was March 11, 2025.[14]
The seat became vacant after Greg Reed (R) was appointed to be Gov. Kay Ivey's Senior Advisor to Workforce Transformation, effective January 1, 2025.[15]
General election
Special general election for Alabama State Senate District 5
Matt Woods defeated Ryan Cagle in the special general election for Alabama State Senate District 5 on June 24, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Matt Woods (R) | 86.0 | 7,715 |
| Ryan Cagle (D) | 13.8 | 1,240 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 14 | ||
| Total votes: 8,969 | |||
 = 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
Special Democratic primary for Alabama State Senate District 5
Ryan Cagle defeated Sarah Watkins in the special Democratic primary for Alabama State Senate District 5 on March 11, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ryan Cagle | 61.8 | 222 | |
| Sarah Watkins | 38.2 | 137 | ||
| Total votes: 359 | |||
| = 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
The Republican primary election was canceled. Matt Woods advanced from the special Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 5.
2022
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Alabama State Senate District 5
Incumbent Greg Reed won election in the general election for Alabama State Senate District 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Greg Reed (R) | 99.2 | 36,159 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 296 | ||
| Total votes: 36,455 | |||
| = 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
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Greg Reed advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 5.
2018
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Alabama State Senate District 5
Incumbent Greg Reed won election in the general election for Alabama State Senate District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Greg Reed (R) | 98.8 | 42,404 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.2 | 497 | ||
| Total votes: 42,901 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 Alabama State Senate District 5
Incumbent Greg Reed advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 5 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Greg Reed |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Alabama State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014; a runoff election took place where necessary on July 15, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014. Incumbent Greg Reed was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[16][17][18][19]
2010
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2010
Elections for the office of Alabama State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 1, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 2, 2010. Greg Reed defeated Brett Wadsworth (D) in the general election.[20] Reed defeated Thad Turnipseed (R) in the June 1 Republican primary.[21] Wadsworth defeated Bill Cleghorn (D) in the June 1 Democratic primary.[22]
| Alabama State Senate, District 5, General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Greg Reed |
73.3% | 33,500 | |
| Democratic | Brett Wadsworth | 26.7% | 12,213 | |
| Total Votes | 45,713 | |||
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2022, candidates for Alabama State Senate District 5 raised a total of $3,082,064. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $181,298 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Alabama State Senate District 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2022 | $467,479 | 1 | $467,479 |
| 2018 | $345,081 | 1 | $345,081 |
| 2014 | $367,945 | 1 | $367,945 |
| 2012 | $-10,116 | 1 | $-10,116 |
| 2010 | $636,847 | 4 | $159,212 |
| 2008 | $3,000 | 1 | $3,000 |
| 2006 | $567,326 | 6 | $94,554 |
| 2002 | $704,502 | 2 | $352,251 |
| Total | $3,082,064 | 17 | $181,298 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Justia, "Alabama Constitution, Article IV, Section 46," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Minimum Qualifications for Public Office," accessed May 21, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Ballotpedia, "Alabama Amendment 4, Legislative Vacancies Amendment (2018)," accessed March 28, 2025
- ↑ Justia US Law, "2023 Code of Alabama Title 17 - Elections. Chapter 15 - Special Elections. Section 17-15-1 - When and for What Offices Held." accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Justia US Law, "2023 Code of Alabama Title 17 - Elections. Chapter 15 - Special Elections. Section 17-15-3 - Special Elections Ordered by Governor." accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Alabama Legislature, "Constitution of Alabama 2022," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Alabama Reflector, "Federal judge: Alabama Senate map violates Voting Rights Act," August 22, 2025
- ↑ Alabama Reflector, "Federal judge approves new Alabama Senate map redrawing Montgomery districts," November 18, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Montgomery Advertiser, "Gov. Kay Ivey signs off on Alabama congressional, legislative, SBOE maps for 2022," Nov. 4, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Alabama Senate passes Senate, State School Board districts," Nov. 1, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Political Report, "House district lines comfortably pass House over objections from both sides ," Nov. 1, 2021
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 All About Redistricting, "Alabama," accessed April 16, 2015
- ↑ The Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, "Governor Ivey Calls Special Election for Alabama Senate District Five," December 31, 2024
- ↑ The Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, "Governor Ivey Adds to Team, Appoints Greg Reed as Senior Advisor to Workforce Transformation," November 19, 2024
- ↑ Alabama Democrats, "Qualified candidates for public office list," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Republican Party, "State Senate," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Democratic Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Republican Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "State of Alabama 2010 Certified General Election Results," November 22, 2010
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Republican Primary results," November 21, 2013
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Democratic Primary results," November 21, 2013
