2002 United States Senate election in Alabama explained

Election Name:	2002 United States Senate election in Alabama
Country:	Alabama
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1996 United States Senate election in Alabama
Previous Year:	1996
Next Election:	2008 United States Senate election in Alabama
Next Year:	2008
Election Date:	November 5, 2002
Image1:	Jeff Sessions official portrait.jpg
Nominee1:	Jeff Sessions
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	792,561
Percentage1:	58.58%
Nominee2:	Susan Parker
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	538,878
Percentage2:	39.83%
Map Size:	250px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:	Jeff Sessions
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Jeff Sessions
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 2002 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions won re-election to a second term.^[1] Sessions became the first Republican to be elected to two full terms to the Senate from the state. As of 2022, this is the most recent Senate election in Alabama in which Colbert and Lawrence counties voted for the Democratic candidate.

Background

In the 1968 presidential election, Alabama supported native son and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace over both Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Wallace was the official Democratic candidate in Alabama, while Humphrey was listed as the "National Democratic".^[2] In 1976, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter from Georgia carried the state, the region, and the nation, but Democratic control of the region slipped after that.

Since 1980, conservative Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the federal level, especially in presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jeff Sessions, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1997

Sessions was not challenged in the primary.^[3]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Julian L. McPhillips, Attorney and candidate for Attorney General in 1978^[4]
• Susan Parker, Alabama State Auditor
• Wayne Sowell, candidate for governor in 1998 and candidate for the U.S. House in 2000

Results

Original on June 4^[5]

McPhillips won many counties in the southern part of the state, but Parker won the most counties. Sowell endorsed Parker for the runoff.

Runoff on June 25

General election

Candidates

• Jeff Allen (L)
• Susan Parker (D), Alabama State Auditor
• Jeff Sessions (R), Incumbent U.S. Senator

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 20, 2002

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Coosa (Largest city: Goodwater)
• Chambers (Largest city: Valley)
• Barbour (largest city: Eufaula)
• Conecuh (largest city: Evergreen)
• Butler (Largest city: Greenville)
• Crenshaw (Largest city: Luverne)
• Washington (Largest city: Chatom)
• Choctaw (Largest city: Butler)
• Jackson (Largest city: Scottsboro)
• Cherokee (Largest city: Centre)
• Fayette (Largest city: Fayette)
• Franklin (Largest city: Russellville)
• Marion (Largest city: Hamilton)
• Walker (Largest city: Jasper)
• Lauderdale (Largest city: Florence)
• Lamar (Largest city: Vernon)
• Etowah (Largest city: Gadsden)

See also

• 2002 United States Senate election

Notes and References

1. Web site: Election Statistics . August 8, 2007 . Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070725184700/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html . July 25, 2007 .
2. Web site: 1968 Presidential General Election Results - Alabama . Uselectionatlas.org . November 5, 1968 . August 7, 2009.
3. News: Primaries set stage for crucial Nov. vote . USA Today . June 5, 2002 . May 27, 2010.
4. Web site: The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search.
5. Web site: Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search.
6. Web site: Senate Races. https://web.archive.org/web/20021118115505/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/senate_all.htm. November 18, 2002. www.centerforpolitics.org. en-US. November 4, 2002. June 25, 2021. dead. mdy-all.