U.S. Rep. Barry Moore won Tuesday’s Republican runoff for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat, securing a spot on the November ballot after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Moore defeated former Navy SEAL and political newcomer Jared Hudson in the GOP runoff. The seat is being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R), who is running for governor this fall.
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Democrats also held a separate runoff election Tuesday to determine their nominee for the Senate race.
The winners of the Republican and Democratic contests will face off in the general election in November, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
The Moore-Hudson contest served as another measure of Trump’s influence in Republican primaries.
Trump’s endorsed candidates have generally been successful in GOP races this year, though one of his preferred candidates in Iowa’s gubernatorial contest suffered a defeat earlier this month.
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Moore highlighted his ties to the Republican president and credited Trump’s backing as a key factor in his victory.
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Noting that “when I call him, he takes my calls,” Moore nonetheless warned voters not to get complacent ahead of the November midterm elections.
“We’ve got the White House. We’ve got a delegation that’s pretty conservative, but it’s vitally important that we show up and vote,” Moore said.
Moore is a three-term congressman and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
He was also an early supporter of Trump’s first presidential campaign, and the president later endorsed Moore in return, the AP noted.
“Barry Moore has my complete and total endorsement. He’s the best America First candidate you can imagine,” Trump said ahead of the runoff.
Hudson campaigned as a political outsider and pushed Moore into a competitive runoff in May by criticizing the congressman’s long tenure in Washington.
He managed to outperform another prominent GOP candidate, Steve Marshall, to secure a spot in Tuesday’s runoff election.
VoteHub projects Barry Moore to win the Republican primary for Alabama U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/nr2xuzwxJ9
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) June 17, 2026
Hudson had promised to be “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda,” and highlighted his military background.
“If you want the same thing over and over again, elect a career politician. If you want different results, somebody who can take your issues to Washington and not bring the stupidity of Washington back here to you, send a warrior to Washington,” Hudson said at a candidate forum last month.
But Moore embraced his record in Congress during the campaign, highlighting Trump’s endorsement and pointing to strong ratings from conservative organizations that track lawmakers’ voting records.
He argued that while many candidates claim to support Trump and his agenda, his voting record demonstrates that support.
“Look at my record, the most conservative member in the Alabama delegation, an ally of the president,” Moore said. “The president has endorsed me because he’s seen me in the fire. I never bow down.”
Moore’s experience influenced many voters who chose him on Tuesday, despite steady rain across much of Alabama.
“He’s the best qualified, I can tell you that — no question,” said Bob Marshall, 91, who voted for Moore at a Methodist church, a suburb near the state capital of Montgomery.
Julian Metheny, who cast his ballot for Hudson on Tuesday in Shelby County, said he was attracted to the candidate’s background as a former Navy SEAL, his emphasis on Christian values and his status as a political outsider.
Tuberville, meanwhile, announced his gubernatorial bid last year on Fox News’ The Will Cain Show.
“As you know, I coached, and it was a great time. We made some great friends. It’s been a lot of fun,” the senator, who had a successful career at Auburn University as a football coach, said.
“So a few years ago, I decided to give back to this great country and fight. President Trump was a guy that really was behind me in doing the Senate race. He’s been behind me ever since and today I will announce that I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama,” Tuberville said.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
