Will Boyd (Alabama)

Will Boyd (Democratic Party) is running for election for Governor of Alabama. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Boyd was the Democratic nominee in the 2018 election for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama. He was also a 2017 special election candidate who sought election to the U.S. Senate from Alabama. In 2016, he sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 5th Congressional District of Alabama.^[1]^[2]

Biography

Will Boyd was born in Florence, South Carolina. Boyd graduated from Mayo High School.^[3] He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of South Carolina at Columbia in 1994, a master's degree in business administration from Regis University in 2003, a doctorate in religion from Christian Bible College in 2003, a doctorate in organization and management from Capella University in 2007, and a doctorate in Christian clinical psychology from St. James the Elder Theological Seminary in 2015. Boyd's career experience includes working as the patriarch and metropolitan archbishop of Zion Ministries, the pastor of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, and the chancellor of St. James the Elder Theological Seminary.^[4]

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Governor of Alabama

The following candidates are running in the general election for Governor of Alabama on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Will Boyd (D)
		Ja'Mel Brown (D)
		Chad Chig Martin (D)
		Ken McFeeters (R)
		Tommy Tuberville (R)
		Ronald Burnette Jr. (Independent) (Write-in)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Alabama

Katie Britt defeated Will Boyd and John Sophocleus in the general election for U.S. Senate Alabama on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Katie Britt (R)	66.6	942,154
	Will Boyd (D)	30.9	436,746
	John Sophocleus (L)	2.3	32,879
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	2,459

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,414,238
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Jarmal Jabbar Sanders (Independent)
Richard Bowers (Independent)

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Alabama

Katie Britt defeated Mo Brooks in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Alabama on June 21, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Katie Britt	63.0	253,251
	Mo Brooks	37.0	148,636

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 401,887
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Alabama

Will Boyd defeated Brandaun Dean and Lanny Jackson in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Alabama on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Will Boyd	63.7	107,588
	Brandaun Dean	19.5	32,863
	Lanny Jackson	16.8	28,402

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 168,853
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Victor Williams (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Alabama

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Alabama on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Katie Britt	44.8	289,425
✔		Mo Brooks	29.2	188,539
		Michael Durant	23.3	150,817
		Jake Schafer	1.1	7,371
		Karla DuPriest	0.9	5,739
	Submit photo	Lillie Boddie	0.7	4,849

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 646,740
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

To view Boyd's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Alabama lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Will Ainsworth defeated Will Boyd in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Will Ainsworth (R)	61.3	1,044,941
	Will Boyd (D)	38.7	660,013
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,023

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,705,977 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Will Ainsworth defeated Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh in the Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama on July 17, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Will Ainsworth	51.5	176,643
	Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh	48.5	166,432

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 343,075
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Will Boyd advanced from the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Will Boyd

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth advanced to a runoff. They defeated Rusty Glover in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh	43.3	238,991
✔	Will Ainsworth	37.1	205,017
	Rusty Glover	19.6	108,338

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 552,346
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

See also: United States Senate special election in Alabama, 2017

Democratic primary election results

U.S. Senate, Alabama Democratic primary, August 15, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democrat	Doug Jones	66.1%	109,105
	Democrat	Robert Kennedy	17.7%	29,215
	Democrat	Michael Hansen	6.7%	11,105
	Democrat	Will Boyd	4.9%	8,010
	Democrat	Jason Fisher	2.1%	3,478
	Democrat	Brian McGee	0.9%	1,450
	Democrat	Charles Nana	0.9%	1,404
	Democrat	Vann Caldwell	0.8%	1,239
Total Votes				165,006
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

General election results

U.S. Senate, Alabama general election, December 12, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democrat	Doug Jones	50%	673,896
	Republican	Roy Moore	48.3%	651,972
	Independent	Write-in	1.7%	22,852
Total Votes				1,348,720
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

2016

See also: Alabama's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Mo Brooks (R) defeated Will Boyd (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. They were both uncontested in the primary.^[5]^[6]^[7]

**U.S. House, Alabama District 5 General Election, 2016**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mo Brooks Incumbent	66.7%	205,647
	Democratic	Will Boyd	33.2%	102,234
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	445
Total Votes				308,326
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Will Boyd has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Will Boyd asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Will Boyd, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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2022

Will Boyd completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Boyd's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a bishop, pastor, engineer, educator, author, and candidate for U.S. Senate. I serve as the patriarch and presiding bishop of Zion Ministries as I also serve as the pastor of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church of Florence, Alabama. I was afforded the opportunity to serve in leadership positions in my fraternity (Omega Psi Phi) and the community as a city councilman, county democratic executive committee chair, and state democratic executive committee member. I was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District in 2016 and Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Alabama in 2018. My family and I reside in Hoover, Alabama.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I believe every American deserves access to the best healthcare.
I believe we must help teachers improve student success in classrooms.
I believe in protecting American workers.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe in Alabama and I have committed myself to working hard every day as Alabama's United States Senator to:

grow the middle class and end poverty,
build coalitions between educators, friends of labor and business leaders,
ensure that all Alabamians have access to affordable healthcare,
improve student success in Alabama classrooms,
protect voting rights for all,
promote equal justice for all, and
protect our environment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my father and mother. My father, Dr. Bill Boyd, served our country in Vietnam and upon returning to the United States, served in a number of leadership roles including: high school principal, district superintendent, college chairman of board of trustees, and member of the regional hospital board. My mother, Mrs. Patricia Boyd, had a medical background before becoming an educator. She dedicated most of her educational career to the classroom where she served as a first grade teacher. These two have not only been amazing parents but the most humble servant leaders as they still sacrifice much of their time and money to assist others even as they are both retirees.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The book I would recommend to someone who wants to understand my political philosophy is "Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy" by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should be honest, fair, and willing to serve all of her or his constituents with the highest regards for ethics, rules, standards, and The Constitution of The United States.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a servant leader who believes in putting the needs of others before my own. My willingness to work with people on "both sides of the aisle" has made me an effective elected official and candidate for the United States Senate.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of a member of the United States Senate are to: 1) give advice and consent to The President of The United States; 2) confirm nominations of Ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, generals, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States; and 3) preside over the impeachment of high officials.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to finish my term in the United States Senate six or twelve years from now being regarded as a leader who worked tirelessly to serve all Alabamians--especially the poor, people in the working class, small business owners, under-served communities, veterans, and those who felt their voices were not heard.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

There are a number of historical events that I remember, but the first one that impacted me deeply was the election of President Obama in 2008 when I was thirty-seven years old. In less than one year, I was historically elected the first African-American city councilman for the city of Greenville, Illinois.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job after college was working as a Manager-In-Training for A.O. Smith Water Products Company. This job required me to globally serve in managerial and engineering roles. I held this job for three years and seven months (Aug 1995 - Feb 1999).

What is your favorite book? Why?

Even after all of these years as a bishop, I still find it comforting to read the Bible even when I am not preparing a sermon. I believe it still relevant to people today!

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

As I continue to travel this beautiful but large State of Alabama, I cannot get "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash out of my head!

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I struggled with the idea of not being able to devote all of my workday to serving local congregants in my 162-year-old church and all of the other churches I preside over as I will transition to serving all of my constituents in the State of Alabama in my new role as United States Senator. Nevertheless, I believe I have been called to serve my state and country in a greater way and I am honored that the members of all of the churches I serve have given me their full support.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Aside from ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare and educational equity exists to ensure that Americans are educated to meet the changing skill sets required in the job market, I perceive that the United States' greatest challenge over the next decade will be the way it chooses to address unrest in Europe that began with the invasion of Ukraine. While there are reasons for hesitancy getting more involved with the war between Russia and Ukraine, I believe it is important that the United States takes a leading role now in ending such aggression as it will not stop with the invasion of one country.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I support the idea of term limits as I believe far too many elected officials lose touch with their constituents as they amass more and more power with their increased tenure in Washington.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Unlike a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a U.S. Senator represents the entire state. Therefore, she or he must be willing to listen to people with background experiences different from their own. In addition to passing legislation and making laws with the House of Representatives, the Senate has the unique responsibility of providing both advice and consent to the president. The Senate also uniquely approves nominations of ambassadors, appointees, and other Officers of the United States (executive branch officials that require Senate confirmation, generals, and other officials).

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

While I do not believe it should be a requirement that a person have previous experience in government or politics to serve in the United States Senate, I believe it is most helpful for the candidate or senator to understand senatorial responsibilities and the role of the two chambers of Congress.

What do you think of the filibuster?

I believe the filibuster should be used for the purpose of protecting a minority point of view, but in recent years the filibuster has been modified from its original intent and needs to be reformed. Regrettably, one of the longest single filibuster speeches was given by a senator from my home state of South Carolina for the purpose of filibustering against the 1957 Civil Rights bill. Even though filibustering provides time for resolution, the difficulty of reaching a three-fifths cloture vote prevents the Senate from moving on to other issues at hand.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

When confirming appointees, I would respectfully examine past and present qualifications for the designated office. Especially regarding offices (or lifetime appointments) that can have a profound effect on the country for years, I would make sure that a person's personal and political life is carefully examined and presented to colleagues in a way that is most respectful.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I have interests in serving on the following standing committees: 1) Armed Services, 2) Appropriations, and 3) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Additionally, I have an interest in serving on the following non-standing committee: Indian Affairs.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Even though we differ in how we approach difficult issues facing of our great state, I would like to model myself after Senator Richard Shelby as he has worked to bring millions of dollars of relief and benefits to the citizens our great state.

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

A juridical nominee should be evaluated on her or his understanding of The Constitution, proven track record of working to provide protection of the rights of all Americans, and a willingness to serve as a justice for all people.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

In order to best serve the people of Alabama, it will be highly important for me to build the best working relationships with all other ninety-nine senators. Members of the United States Senate must work together in a bipartisan manner to carry out all duties described in the United States Constitution.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

While I do not believe a pubic servant or elected official should compromise her or his personal values or beliefs, I believe politics involves compromising. Without such compromise, the one hundred members of the United States Senate, who are elected to represent fifty demographically diverse states, would not be able to efficiently and effectively make decisions and support passing legislation that benefits all Americans.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2016

The following issues were listed on Boyd's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“

Jobs and the Economy: "Stimulate economic development with the creation of more private sector jobs"

Labor: "Oppose any effort to exclude more workers from the protections of the 40-hour workweek or to deny workers the absolute right to overtime pay"

Occupational Safety and Health: "Support efforts to extend plans under The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to provide coverage to millions of public workers in government, municipal, and education sectors"

Retirement, Pensions and Social Security: "Oppose any efforts to increase the retirement age and will support current legislation which allows retirement anytime between 62 and full retirement age with early benefits reduced each month before full retirement age as outlined by the Social Security Administration"

Trade Reform: "Support efforts to strengthen trade law enforcement"

^[8]

”

—Will Boyd's campaign website, http://willboydforcongress.nationbuilder.com/policies

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Will Boyd campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate Alabama	Lost general	$134,567	$121,509
Grand total			$134,567	$121,509
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

External links

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Candidate

Governor of Alabama

Personal

Footnotes

↑ AL.com, "Florence pastor announces candidacy for Congress," July 16, 2015
↑ AL.com, "Alabama Senate race updated list: 11 Republicans, 8 Democrats qualify," May 17, 2017
↑ Dr. Will Boyd, "Biography," accessed March 21, 2022
↑ LinkedIn, "Dr. Will Boyd," accessed March 21, 2022
↑ The New York Times, "Alabama Primary Results," accessed March 1, 2016
↑ Alabama Republican Party, "2016 Qualified Alabama Republican Candidates," accessed November 10, 2015
↑ Alabama Democrats, "Qualified Democratic Candidates as of November 6, 2015," accessed November 10, 2015
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[cong16-1] AL.com, "Florence pastor announces candidacy for Congress," July 16, 2015

[list17-2] AL.com, "Alabama Senate race updated list: 11 Republicans, 8 Democrats qualify," May 17, 2017

[bio-3] Dr. Will Boyd, "Biography," accessed March 21, 2022

[bio2-4] LinkedIn, "Dr. Will Boyd," accessed March 21, 2022

[primary-5] The New York Times, "Alabama Primary Results," accessed March 1, 2016

[6] Alabama Republican Party, "2016 Qualified Alabama Republican Candidates," accessed November 10, 2015

[7] Alabama Democrats, "Qualified Democratic Candidates as of November 6, 2015," accessed November 10, 2015

[quotedisclaimer-8] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

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Will Boyd (Alabama)

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for Governor of Alabama

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Alabama

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Alabama

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Alabama

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Alabama

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

2017

Democratic primary election results

General election results

2016

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2016

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

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