Why It Matters

Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) won Alabama's open U.S. Senate seat on Nov. 3, defeating Democrat Everett Wess and keeping the seat in Republican hands. Moore will succeed Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who did not seek reelection and instead ran for governor. With all 67 counties reporting, Moore led Wess by 158,947 votes in unofficial returns as of Nov. 4, according to the Alabama secretary of state's election night results. ​

Moore's victory preserved a Republican Senate seat despite Democrats regaining control of both the House and Senate nationally. The change in congressional majorities will give Democrats control of committee leadership, legislative agendas and oversight authority when the new Congress convenes in January, increasing scrutiny of President Donald Trump's administration. Moore will enter the Senate as a member of the Republican minority.

The race also highlighted a substantial financial imbalance between the candidates. Moore outspent Wess by more than 36-to-1, while outside groups directed millions of dollars toward the Republican primary and runoff. Wess nevertheless made the race more competitive than Alabama's recent presidential results, although Moore ultimately maintained a clear lead.

The Result

Moore defeated Wess in the Nov. 3 general election, according to unofficial results reported by the Alabama secretary of state. With all 67 counties reporting, Moore received 917,344 votes, or approximately 54.7%, compared with Wess' 758,397 votes, or 45.2%, in a Nov. 4 morning snapshot of the statewide returns. Write-in candidates received 2,047 votes.

Moore's margin was 158,947 votes, approximately 9.5 percentage points. Although every county had reported, the results remained unofficial and subject to certification. The seat was open because Tuberville, who has served in the Senate since January 2021, chose to run for governor rather than seek another Senate term.

Money

Moore substantially outspent Wess in candidate campaign disbursements, reporting $4,293,858 compared with Wess' $118,027, a ratio of more than 36-to-1. Moore raised $4,635,926 in total receipts against Wess' $128,570 and reported $467,199 in cash on hand, compared with Wess' $10,543, according to the campaign finance figures compiled in the race record.

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Outside groups reported approximately $22.58 million in independent expenditures across the race, with the recorded spending directed toward Republican candidates. The compiled figures did not identify independent expenditures supporting or opposing Wess.

Moore was the subject of $16,498,722 in outside spending, the most of any candidate covered by the race record. Jared Hudson, who lost the Republican primary runoff to Moore, was the subject of $4,914,808 in outside spending.

The largest outside spenders were:

  • Defend American Jobs: $12,241,219 in reported support spending, with no opposition spending.
  • Alabama Freedom Fund: $5,490,206.44 in total reported spending, including $3,106,118.40 in support and $2,384,088.04 in opposition.
  • Alabama Conservatives: $1,904,612 in total reported spending, including $1,901,593 in support and $3,019 in opposition.

The Incumbent's Record

Tuberville has served in the Senate since Jan. 3, 2021. He did not seek reelection, choosing instead to pursue Alabama's governorship. According to his official Senate committee assignments, Tuberville served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

His legislative activity in the 119th Congress includes measures addressing immigration, federal litigation settlements, military readiness, education, and federal administrative policy. Bills identified in his congressional legislative record include:

  • S. 5485, the Americans First Immigration Act.
  • S. 4978, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2026.
  • S. 4546, the ASSIMILATION Act.
  • S. 2091, the Restoring Lethality Act.
  • S. 1726, the ASSIST Act of 2025.
  • S. 4365, the FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act.
  • S. 3121, the UBER Act.
  • S. 1223, an additional measure identified in the legislative record.

Campaign Attacks

The most extensively documented campaign attacks came from Wess, who criticized Moore's health care record and argued he would prioritize Trump's political agenda over Alabama residents' interests.

According to the Alabama Political Reporter, which covered a Wess campaign blog post dated Sept. 16, Wess accused Moore of failing to address Alabama's rural health care problems. Wess argued that Moore's support for the Republican budget law and its Medicaid cuts would put additional financial pressure on rural hospitals and patients.

The criticism centered on the effects of federal Medicaid spending reductions and changes to health coverage eligibility. Wess portrayed Moore's support for the legislation as evidence that he was prioritizing Republican leadership over the needs of rural communities.

In an Oct. 28 closing argument summarized by the Alabama Political Reporter, Wess accused Moore of putting Trump's demands ahead of Alabama's interests and questioned whether Moore would exercise independent judgment as a senator.

Pre-Election Indicators

The Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Republican as of Nov. 2. Sabato's Crystal Ball and Inside Elections also rated the contest Solid Republican as of Nov. 3, according to the race record.

Kalshi's Alabama Senate election market showed Moore at 100% and Wess at 0% on a page labeled updated Nov. 3. Because the available market information did not establish when those prices were recorded relative to the election result, they cannot be treated as a verified pre-election forecast.

The Legis1 polling average, based on 30 polls as of Oct. 24, showed Moore leading Wess 51.9% to 36.5%, a reported margin of 15.3 percentage points. The displayed candidate percentages produce a 15.4-point difference before accounting for rounding. Moore's approximately 9.5-point margin in the unofficial returns was narrower than the polling average suggested.

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