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Alabama State Senate District 21
| Alabama State Senate District 21 | ||
| Current incumbent | Gerald Allen  | |
| Population | 140,682 | |
| Race | 71% White, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.1% Two or More Races, 1% Asian, 1.5% Other, 25.1% Black, 0.1% Pacific Islander[1] | |
| Voting age | 78.7% age 18 and over | |
Alabama’s twenty-first state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Gerald Allen.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 140,682 civilians reside within Alabama's twenty-first state senate district.[2] Alabama state senators represent an average of 136,564 residents.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 127,060 residents.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[7] | |
|---|---|
| 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.[8][9][10] The governor has all discretion in setting the date of the election along with the nominating deadlines.[10][11]
See sources: Alabama Code § 17-15-1
Elections
2018
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Alabama State Senate District 21
Incumbent Gerald Allen defeated Rick Burnham in the general election for Alabama State Senate District 21 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Gerald Allen (R) | 67.5 | 33,368 |
 | Rick Burnham (D) | 32.4 | 16,005 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 52 | ||
| Total votes: 49,425 (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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Alabama State Senate District 21
Rick Burnham advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama State Senate District 21 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Rick Burnham |
| ||||
| = 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 21
Incumbent Gerald Allen defeated Frank Chandler in the Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 21 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gerald Allen | 79.6 | 13,513 |
 | Frank Chandler | 20.4 | 3,461 | |
| Total votes: 16,974 | |||
| = 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. Phil Poole was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Gerald Allen defeated Frank Chandler in the Republican primary. Allen defeated Poole in the general election.[12][13][14][15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Gerald Allen Incumbent |
62.3% | 20,179 | |
| Democratic | Phil Poole | 37.5% | 12,161 | |
| NA | Write-In | 0.1% | 48 | |
| Total Votes | 32,388 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Gerald Allen Incumbent |
75.9% | 6,543 |
| Frank Chandler | 24.1% | 2,078 |
| Total Votes | 8,621 | |
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. Gerald Allen defeated incumbent Phil Poole (D) in the general election.[16] Both candidates ran unopposed in the June 1 primary elections.[17][18]
| Alabama State Senate, District 21, General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Gerald Allen |
51.3% | 20,528 | |
| Democratic | Phil Poole Incumbent | 48.7% | 19,509 | |
| Total Votes | 40,037 | |||
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Alabama State Senate District 21 raised a total of $2,349,773. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $180,752 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
| Campaign contributions, Alabama State Senate District 21 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
| 2014 | $751,251 | 3 | $250,417 | |
| 2012 | $4,974 | 1 | $4,974 | |
| 2010 | $710,003 | 2 | $355,002 | |
| 2008 | $88,328 | 1 | $88,328 | |
| 2006 | $221,127 | 2 | $110,564 | |
| 2002 | $574,090 | 4 | $143,523 | |
| Total | $2,349,773 | 13 | $180,752 | |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information on the parameters the U.S. Census Bureau use, please see our Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census page.
- ↑ Center for Business and Economic Research, The University of Alabama, "Population by Race for State Legislative Districts in Alabama, 2010," September 30, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Population in 2010 of the American states," November 21, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Population in 2000 of the American states," November 21, 2013
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 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 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
