The primary election for Alabama's 1st Congressional District race has already been decided, but the outcome may not determine the winner due to ongoing redistricting litigation. Voters will still head to the polls in May for other races, but a special primary election is expected in August for the congressional race.
Nearly 70 percent of the money raised in Alabama ’s 1st Congressional District race has already been spent on a primary election that ultimately may not determine the winner.
Voters will still head to the polls May 19th to decide statewide and local races, but the congressional race is now in limbo because of ongoing redistricting litigation in federal court. As a result, voters in several congressional districts, including District 1 along the Gulf Coast, are expected to return to the polls in August for a special primary election.
The latest available campaign finance reports show Republican candidates in the District 1 race raised more than $2.6 million combined and spent roughly $1.7 million ahead of the May primary. Rhett Marques raised the most money at $1.13 million and spent about $663,000. He now plans to seek the District 2 seat covering the Wiregrass in the special election.
Jerry Carl, who raised the second-highest amount at $757,000 and spent more than $556,000 , plans to run for the Gulf Coast-based District 1 seat. Joshua McKee raised the third highest amount at $482,000 and spent roughly $370,000 in the District 1 race. He intends to run in the special primary but has not decided which district. Political strategist Jon Gray says much of the campaign spending was targeted in districts that are now changing.
“You’re looking at a significant amount of money that was run on a race literally up until 10 days before it was supposed to go down, and the money’s wasted now,” said Gray. Meanwhile, qualifying for the new August election begins Wednesday, May 20th, and runs through Friday, May 22nd, giving candidates only days to decide whether to enter the race again.
Gray says the unusual election setup could also create opportunities for entirely new candidates to jump in, including candidates already running for different offices in the May primary.
“Because this is a special election, even people who won the Republican nomination during the primary and are due to be nominated, they can turn around and run for this race,” said Gray. Unlike a traditional primary, the August special election will not include a runoff. The candidate receiving the most votes wins outright, even without a majority.
“You put 10 people in a race, somebody could be your next Congressman with 12 percent of the vote,” said Gray. Gray, who says he is not affiliated with any candidate currently seeking the District 1 congressional seat, believes the eventual Republican nominee could still face a competitive race in November against Democratic incumbent Shomari Figures.
“Mobile is going to get something they haven’t seen in a long time, and that is a competitive general election,” said Gray. NBC 15 News has reached out to the Alabama Republican Party to ask how it would handle a scenario where a candidate wins a nomination for one office on May 19th, then decides days later to enter the congressional race.
The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System Wednesday announced that the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team successfully retrieved anWorking with officials from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Officers S. Andrews and T. Jones of the GSPD Marine Unit helped removeMobile Police probe deadly crash on Airport Blvd According to the Mobile Dept.of Public Safety, on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at approximately 5:45 a.m., officers responded to the area of Airport Blvd and WillowJohnny Ray Duval, 46, turned himself in to Mobile Metro Jail on Friday on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge. He was released just over an hour later. The
Alabama Congressional District Redistricting Campaign Finance Special Primary Election Political Strategist Qualifying For New Election
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