2018 Alabama elections explained

Election Name:2018 Alabama elections
Country:Alabama
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2016 Alabama elections
Previous Year:2016
Next Election:2020 Alabama elections
Next Year:2020

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Alabama on November 6, 2018. All Alabama executive officers were up for election along with all of Alabama's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections took place on June 5, 2018, for both major parties.[1]

Governor

See main article: 2018 Alabama gubernatorial election. Incumbent Republican governor Kay Ivey, who assumed the office upon the resignation of Robert J. Bentley in April 2017, ran for election to a full term against Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and independent write-in Chad Chig Martin. Kay Ivey won with 60% of the votes.

Lieutenant governor

The office of Lieutenant Governor was vacant prior to the election.

State House Representative Will Ainsworth, State Senator Rusty Glover, and Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh[2] were running for the Republican nomination.[3] [4] [5] [6] Dr. Will Boyd from Florence ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Runoff results

General election

Results

Attorney general

See main article: 2018 Alabama Attorney General election. Incumbent Republican attorney general Steve Marshall, was appointed to the office by Governor Robert J. Bentley in February 2017, ran for election to a full term against, Joseph Siegelman, the son of the former governor Don Siegelman. Marshall won with 58.8% of the votes.

Secretary of state

Incumbent Republican secretary of state John Merrill ran for re-election to a second term.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Primary results

General election

Results

Governing magazine projected the race as "safe Republican".[8]

State auditor

Incumbent Republican state auditor Jim Zeigler was running for re-election to a second term.

Democratic primary

Primary results

Republican primary

Primary results

General election

Results

State treasurer

Incumbent Republican state treasurer Young Boozer was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third consecutive term.

Democratic primary

No Democratic candidates filed to run in the primary.

Republican primary

Primary results

General election

Results

Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries

Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third consecutive term. The Republican candidates are Lowndesboro Mayor and Lowndes County GOP chairman Rick Pate, former FBI field intelligence supervisor T. O. (Tracy) Crane, State Senator Gerald Dial, and Cecil Murphy.

Democratic primary

No Democratic candidates filed to run in the primary.

Republican primary

Runoff results

General election

Results

Public Service Commission

The two associate commissioner seats on the Alabama Public Service Commission was up for election. Incumbent Republican commissioners Jeremy Oden, who was appointed to the commission by Governor Bentley in December 2012, and Chip Beeker, who was first elected in 2014, were both eligible to run for re-election.

Place 1

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results

Republican primary

Candidates
Results

General election

Results

Place 2

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results

Republican primary

Candidates
Results

General election

Results

Alabama State Legislature

See main article: 2018 Alabama House of Representatives election and 2018 Alabama Senate election.

Every member of the Alabama state legislature was up for election in 2018. Both state senators and state representatives serve four-year terms in Alabama. After the 2014 elections, Republicans maintained control of both chambers. In 2018, all 35 Alabama Senate seats and all 105 Alabama House of Representatives seats were up for election. These seats will not be contested in a regularly-scheduled election again until 2022.

The outcome of this election could affect partisan balance during post-2020 census redistricting.

Senate

Republicans won 27 while Democrats won 8 seats. The Republican Party gained 1 seat, the 29th, which was held by an retiring independent who caucused with the Republicans.

House of Representatives

Republicans won 77 seats while Democrats won 28 seats. The Republican Party gained 5 seats.

United States House of Representatives

See main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama.

All of Alabama's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat were returned. No districts changed hands.

Ballot measures

Amendment 2

This is an approved legislatively referred constitutional amendment to the Constitution of Alabama that appeared on the ballot on November 6, 2018. The amendment was on abortion.

Amendment 2
Question:(a) This state acknowledges, declares, and affirms that it is the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life.(b) This state further acknowledges, declares, and affirms that it is the public policy of this state to ensure the protection of the rights of the unborn child in all manners and measures lawful and appropriate.(c) Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.
Yes:916,061
No:636,438
Total:1,552,499
Mapcaption:Results by county
Yes

No

Notes:Source: Alabama Secretary of State
Map Size:250px

Amendment 4

External links

Official lieutenant gubernatorial campaign websites
Official attorney general campaign websites
Official Secretary of State campaign websites
Official State Auditor campaign websites
Official place 1 public service commission websites
Official place 2 public service commission websites

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Administrative Calendar: 2018 Statewide Election. Alabama Secretary of State.
  2. News: Twinkle Cavanaugh switches to lieutenant governor's race . Cason . Mike . August 17, 2017 . May 20, 2018 . AL.com.
  3. Web site: Sen. Rusty Glover to run for lieutenant governor of Alabama. AL.com. Cason. Mike. February 22, 2017. March 31, 2017.
  4. Web site: These are the politicians eyeing a run for Alabama's highest offices in 2018. Yellowhammer News. Sims. Cliff. October 29, 2015. November 18, 2016.
  5. Web site: Mary Scott Hunter to run for lieutenant governor of Alabama. AL.com. Mike. Cason. May 31, 2017. May 31, 2017.
  6. Web site: Will Ainsworth For Lt. Governor. Will Ainsworth For Lt. Governor.
  7. Web site: Blog - Alabama Democrats . 2018-06-29 . 2018-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180117025048/http://aldemocrats.org/blog/list_of_qualified_candidates_for_2018 . dead .
  8. Web site: Jacobson . Louis . Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever . Governing . September 22, 2019 . June 4, 2018.
  9. Web site: Tocrane . May 30, 2018 . June 1, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180601191735/http://tocrane.com/ . dead .