| Election Name: | 2016 Alabama Republican presidential primary |
| Country: | Alabama |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2012 Alabama Republican presidential primary |
| Previous Year: | 2012 |
| Next Election: | 2020 Alabama Republican presidential primary |
| Next Year: | 2020 |
| Candidate1: | Donald Trump |
| Home State1: | New York |
| Delegate Count1: | 36 |
| Popular Vote1: | 373,721 |
| Percentage1: | 43.42% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Color4: | c60e3b |
| Candidate4: | Marco Rubio |
| Home State4: | Florida |
| Delegate Count4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 160,606 |
| Percentage4: | 18.66% |
| Color5: | 99CCFF |
| Candidate5: | Ben Carson |
| Home State5: | Virginia |
| Delegate Count5: | 0 |
| Popular Vote5: | 88,094 |
| Percentage5: | 10.24% |
| Color1: | 283681 |
| Color2: | d4aa00 |
| Candidate2: | Ted Cruz |
| Home State2: | Texas |
| Delegate Count2: | 13 |
| Popular Vote2: | 181,479 |
| Percentage2: | 21.09% |
| Elected Members: | AR |
| Outgoing Members: | AK |
| Votes For Election: | 50 pledged delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention |
The 2016 Alabama Republican presidential primary took place on March 1, 2016. This was the fifth primary held in the 2016 Republican primary. Donald Trump won the primary handily. The election was also held on Super Tuesday. Trump eventually won the Republican primary. He was elected President of the United States on November 8, 2016, against Hillary Clinton.
Ahead of the primary, Alabama was considered one of Donald Trump's strongest states.[1] Trump enjoyed the endorsement of Senator Jeff Sessions,[2] who would later join his Department of Justice as Attorney General. Sessions was Trump's first endorsement in the U.S. Senate.
| Donald Trump | Ted Cruz | Margin | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RealClearPolitics | until March 1, 2016 | March 1, 2016 | 20.3% | 38.0% | 14.7% | Trump +17.7 | |||
| FiveThirtyEight | until March 1, 2016 | March 1, 2016 | 20.4% | 43.4% | 17.2% | Trump +23.0 |
| Poll source | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Other | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary results | March 1, 2016 | Donald Trump43.42% | Ted Cruz21.09% | Marco Rubio18.66% | Ben Carson 10.24%, John Kasich 4.43%, Jeb Bush 0.46%, Mike Huckabee 0.30%, Rand Paul 0.22%, Chris Christie 0.10%, Rick Santorum 0.07%, Carly Fiorina 0.06%, Lindsey Graham 0.03% | ||
| SurveyMonkey[3] Margin of error: ± ?% Sample size: 741 | February 22–29, 2016 | Donald Trump 47% | Ted Cruz18% | Marco Rubio14% | Ben Carson 9%, John Kasich 3%, Undecided 9% | ||
| Monmouth University[4] Margin of error: ± 4.6% Sample size: 450 | February 25–28, 2016 | Donald Trump 42% | Marco Rubio19% | Ted Cruz16% | Ben Carson 11%, John Kasich 5%, Undecided 7% | ||
| Opinion Savvy[5] Margin of error: ± 4.6% Sample size: 460 | February 25–26, 2016 | Donald Trump 35.8% | Marco Rubio23.0% | Ted Cruz16.2% | Ben Carson 10.5%, John Kasich 7.5%, Undecided 7.0% | ||
| AL.com[6] Margin of error: ± 4.5% Sample size: 500 | December 10–13, 2015 | Donald Trump 35% | Ted Cruz15% | Marco Rubio12% | Ben Carson 12%, Jeb Bush 4%, Mike Huckabee 4%, Chris Christie 3%, John Kasich 2%, Carly Fiorina 1%, Rand Paul <1%, Rick Santorum <1%, Lindsey Graham <1% | ||
| Gravis MarketingMargin of error: ± 2% Sample size: 1616 | September 3, 2015 | Donald Trump 38% | Ben Carson16.7% | Jeb Bush4.9% | Ted Cruz 4.1%, Mike Huckabee 2.7%, Marco Rubio 2.3%, Carly Fiorina 2.3%, Rand Paul 1.5%, John Kasich 1.3%, Scott Walker 1.1%, Chris Christie 0.9%, Rick Santorum 0.4%, Rick Perry 0.3%, Bobby Jindal 0.3%, Lindsey Graham 0.1%, unsure 23.2% | ||
| News-5/Strategy Research Margin of error: ± 2% Sample size: 3500 | August 11, 2015 | Donald Trump 30% | Jeb Bush15% | Ben Carson11% | Marco Rubio 11%, Mike Huckabee 8%, Carly Fiorina 8%, Ted Cruz 7.5%, Scott Walker 3%, Other 5% | ||
| Opinion Savvy/Insider AdvantageMargin of error: ± 4.4% Sample size: 481 | August 2–3, 2015 | Donald Trump 37.6% | Ben Carson14.6% | Jeb Bush11.8% | Mike Huckabee 7.9%, Ted Cruz 4.5%, Scott Walker 3.8%, Chris Christie 3.2%, Marco Rubio 2.6%, Rand Paul 2.2%, Bobby Jindal 2.0%, John Kasich 1.4%, Rick Santorum 1.2%, Rick Perry 1.0%, Lindsey Graham 0.7%, Carly Fiorina 0.5%, George Pataki 0.0%, Someone else 1.9%, Undecided 3.1% | ||
| CygnalMargin of error: ± 3.42% Sample size: 821 | July 7–8, 2014 | Jeb Bush 19.8% | Ben Carson12.6% | Rand Paul10.5% | Chris Christie 8.8%, Rick Perry 7.2%, Ted Cruz 5.6%, Rick Santorum 5.3%, Bobby Jindal 3.9%, Scott Walker 3.6%, Undecided 22.6% |
| Autauga | 44.57% | 20.48% | 14.75% | 14.57% | 3.48% | 1.01% | 0.47% | 0.26% | 0.40% | |
| Baldwin | 46.87% | 17.02% | 19.26% | 8.39% | 5.93% | 1.38% | 0.45% | N/A | 0.70% | |
| Barbour | 50.16% | 17.77% | 14.62% | 12.26% | 3.6% | 0.61% | 0.3% | 0.26% | 0.41% | |
| Bibb | 49.46% | 25.45% | 11.18% | 9.89% | 2.11% | 0.76% | 0.43% | 0.38% | 0.35% | |
| Blount | 48.75% | 24.39% | 12.15% | 10.05% | 2.22% | 1.12% | 0.37% | 0.51% | 0.42% | |
| Bullock | 56.50% | 16.97% | 11.55% | 8.48% | 4.15% | 0.54% | 1.26% | 0.18% | 0.36% | |
| Butler | 53.78% | 16.68% | 13.37% | 11.77% | 2.69% | 0.53% | 0.66% | N/A | 0.53% | |
| Calhoun | 45.06% | 19.43% | 16.32% | 11.83% | 4.78% | 1.04% | 0.64% | 0.36% | 0.53% | |
| Chambers | 47.52% | 20.11% | 13.04% | 13.07% | 3.68% | 0.96% | 0.79% | 0.26% | 0.57% | |
| Cherokee | 52.10% | 17.23% | 15.19% | 10.01% | 2.83% | 1.29% | 0.37% | 0.54% | 0.43% | |
| Chilton | 49.43% | 21.78% | 13.44% | 10.75% | 2.04% | 1.10% | 0.59% | 0.48% | 0.38% | |
| Choctaw | 49.93% | 21.05% | 14.70% | 7.89% | 3.17% | 1.26% | 0.93% | 0.51% | 0.56% | |
| Clarke | 50.22% | 19.28% | 17.48% | 8.92% | 2.71% | 0.41% | 0.33% | 0.39% | 0.26% | |
| Clay | 47.48% | 20.89% | 12.49% | 12.25% | 3.09% | 1.60% | 1.06% | 0.52% | 0.62% | |
| Cleburne | 48.30% | 21.13% | 13.62% | 9.95% | 2.41% | 1.64% | 1.55% | 0.57% | 0.82% | |
| Coffee | 41.40% | 23.37% | 15.52% | 13.16% | 3.4% | 1.32% | 0.66% | 0.38% | 0.64% | |
| Colbert | 47.45% | 19.62% | 17.68% | 10.89% | 3.05% | 0.54% | N/A | N/A | 0.77% | |
| Conecuh | 59.02% | 15.96% | 10.82% | 10.51% | 1.30% | 0.84% | 0.61% | 0.46% | 0.46% | |
| Coosa | 55.32% | 19.56% | 10.81% | 9.02% | 2.96% | 0.99% | 0.45% | 0.27% | 0.63% | |
| Covington | 48.14% | 18.51% | 13.33% | 13.33% | 3.37% | 1.56% | 0.81% | 0.43% | 0.51% | |
| Crenshaw | 54.50% | 21.93% | 9.11% | 10.42% | 2.55% | 0.51% | 0.44% | N/A | 0.55% | |
| Cullman | 50.65% | 20.25% | 13.49% | 10.96% | 2.66% | 0.80 | 0.37% | 0.31% | 0.51% | |
| Dale | 45.28% | 21.90% | 13.02% | 12.54% | 3.63% | 1.76% | 0.61% | 0.61% | 0.66% | |
| Dallas | 59.70% | 20.66% | 8.68% | 5.25% | 2.63% | 1.48% | 0.91% | 0.57% | 0.11% | |
| DeKalb | 47.59% | 16.39% | 21.60% | 9.79% | 2.47% | 1.01% | 0.39% | 0.39% | 0.37% | |
| Elmore | 47.49% | 18.35% | 13.43% | 14.90% | 3.58% | 0.91% | 0.54% | 0.29% | 0.51% | |
| Escambia | 49.33% | 18.00% | 17.14% | 10.24% | 3.40% | 0.56% | 0.49% | 0.37% | 0.47% | |
| Etowah | 46.09% | 20.75% | 16.79% | 11.19% | 3.27% | 0.74% | 0.41% | 0.28% | 0.49% | |
| Fayette | 49.86% | 20.97% | 13.35% | 9.81% | 2.49% | 1.77% | 0.50% | 0.88% | 0.36% | |
| Franklin | 51.47% | 21.29% | 13.42% | 9.26% | 2.55% | 0.72% | 0.33% | 0.48% | 0.48% | |
| Geneva | 48.62% | 23.73% | 12.99% | 9.26% | 2.30% | 1.31% | 0.66% | 0.55% | 0.59% | |
| Greene | 53.85% | 21.61% | 12.09% | 6.96% | 3.66% | N/A | 0.73% | 0.37% | 0.74% | |
| Hale | 52.07% | 24.98% | 11.74% | 7.77% | 2.12% | 0.53% | N/A | 0.26% | 0.53% | |
| Henry | 46.79% | 22.28% | 14.36% | 11.47% | 2.81% | 1.05% | 0.55% | 0.29% | 0.39% | |
| Houston | 40.39% | 22.56% | 18.19% | 11.43% | 4.13% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 0.44% | 0.53% | |
| Jackson | 49.89% | 16.37% | 16.90% | 10.82% | 2.83% | 2.00% | 0.37% | 0.44% | 0.40% | |
| Jefferson | 35.02% | 23.82% | 24.67% | 8.92% | 6.09% | 0.55% | 0.36% | N/A | 0.58% | |
| Lamar | 50.43% | 19.26% | 12.97% | 9.57% | 2.87% | 2.25% | 0.78% | 1.03% | 0.83% | |
| Lauderdale | 42.14% | 18.36% | 18.69% | 12.05% | 5.52% | 1.66% | 0.36% | 0.53% | 0.69% | |
| Lawrence | 52.89% | 17.53% | 13.53% | 10.74% | 2.87% | 0.93% | 0.55% | 0.41% | 0.55% | |
| Lee | 32.96% | 23.17% | 22.50% | 11.72% | 7.11% | 0.98% | 0.61% | 0.35% | 0.59% | |
| Limestone | 43.03% | 21.39% | 18.85% | 10.87% | 3.90% | 0.89% | 0.37% | N/A | 0.70% | |
| Lowndes | 59.52% | 16.31% | 9.88% | 10.48% | 3.10% | 0.36% | N/A | N/A | 0.36% | |
| Macon | 47.91% | 19.78% | 12.38% | 12.79% | 5.25% | 0.67% | 0.54% | 0.54% | 0.13% | |
| Madison | 36.18% | 20.69% | 26.03% | 9.58% | 5.94% | 0.59% | 0.31% | N/A | 0.69% | |
| Marengo | 53.95% | 21.17% | 11.79% | 7.89% | 2.41% | 1.21% | 0.93% | 0.28% | 0.37% | |
| Marion | 52.92% | 19.15% | 13.91% | 8.89% | 2.52% | 0.77% | 0.56% | 0.60% | 0.68% | |
| Marshall | 49.51% | 15.12% | 20.56% | 9.86% | 3.23% | 0.69% | 0.30% | 0.29% | 0.44% | |
| Mobile | 45.22% | 21.41% | 18.93% | 7.71% | 4.59% | 0.93% | 0.49% | N/A | 0.73% | |
| Monroe | 52.06% | 17.42% | 15.78% | 9.87% | 2.86% | 0.50% | 0.53% | 0.53% | 0.45% | |
| Montgomery | 39.42% | 17.59% | 20.85% | 12.65% | 7.30% | 0.83% | 0.64% | N/A | 0.73% | |
| Morgan | 44.59% | 19.73% | 18.31% | 11.40% | 4.53% | 0.50% | 0.25% | 0.27% | 0.42% | |
| Perry | 51.73% | 32.80% | 8.80% | 4.00% | 0.53% | 1.33% | 0.53% | 0.27% | N/A | |
| Pickens | 44.0.5% | 25.74% | 13.81% | 11.31% | 2.54% | 0.63% | 0.70% | 0.98% | 0.23% | |
| Pike | 46.02% | 20.15% | 14.79% | 12.81% | 3.16% | 1.23% | 0.79% | 0.40% | 0.66% | |
| Randolph | 51.59% | 20.65% | 12.83% | 9.36% | 2.92% | 0.94% | 0.77% | 0.55% | 0.39% | |
| Russell | 47.45% | 27.03% | 12.31% | 7.92% | 2.82% | 1.04% | 0.53% | N/A | 0.90% | |
| St. Clair | 44.60% | 26.88% | 13.42% | 10.86% | 2.69% | 0.53% | 0.41% | N/A | 0.61% | |
| Shelby | 34.35% | 26.37% | 22.95% | 9.42% | 5.03% | 0.83% | 0.37% | N/A | 0.67% | |
| Sumter | 59.36% | 15.90% | 13.78% | 7.42% | 1.41% | 0.35% | 1.41% | 0.35% | N/A | |
| Talladega | 51.05% | 19.98% | 13.56% | 9.54% | 3.80% | 0.71% | 0.59% | 0.35% | 0.40% | |
| Tallapoosa | 52.78% | 15.01% | 14.60% | 11.40% | 4.20% | 0.53% | 0.62% | 0.27% | 0.58% | |
| Tuscaloosa | 37.46% | 25.05% | 20.37% | 10.64% | 4.44% | 0.88% | 0.41% | 0.29% | 0.44% | |
| Walker | 55.11% | 20.37% | 10.84% | 8.97% | 2.37% | 1.17% | 0.46% | 0.32% | 0.40% | |
| Washington | 53.78% | 21.82% | 15.31% | 6.43% | 1.14% | 0.85% | N/A | N/A | 0.68% | |
| Wilcox | 54.36% | 21.59% | 12.12% | 8.33% | 2.27% | N/A | 0.57% | 0.38% | 0.38% | |
| Winston | 56.12% | 18.01% | 11.85% | 9.02% | 2.73% | 0.90% | 0.45% | 0.37% | 0.54% | |
| TOTAL | 43.42% | 21.09% | 18.66% | 10.24% | 4.43% | 0.92% | 0.46% | 0.30% | 0.48% | |
| Source | ||||||||||
Trump won all 7 congressional districts.[7]
| District | Trump | Cruz | Rubio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46% | 19% | 19% | |
| 46% | 21% | 15% | |
| 44% | 21% | 16% | |
| 49% | 19% | 16% | |
| 40% | 20% | 22% | |
| 37% | 25% | 22% | |
| 43% | 23% | 18% | |
According to Pew Research, Alabama's Republican electorate has the second-highest proportion of white Evangelicals of any Super Tuesday state, at 63% of Republican voters.[8]
Donald Trump won the Alabama primary in a landslide due to support from Evangelical primary voters. Trump carried 43% of Evangelicals compared to 22% for Ted Cruz, according to exit polls by Edison Research.[9] Many pundits were perplexed by Trump's dominance among culturally conservative Southern whites who were expected to view him as immoral, but he benefitted from voters' racial, cultural, and economic angst that mattered more than shared values.[10]