The Upcoming Year a Big One in Alabama for State Politics and Elections

So the year 2026 has finally arrived and for Alabama it means a busy election year ahead. For those seeking elective office in the state, candidates can qualify from January 5th through January 23th. The party primary elections are on May 19th, and if there are any run-offs, they are set for June 16th. And finally, the general election will be next fall on November 3rd. All of the state constitutional officers and state lawmakers will be on the ballot. In addition, all of the federal congressional seats and one United States senate seat are up for grabs. Local elections across the state will also include county offices and judges as well. Finally, there will be several constitutional amendments on the ballot including strengthening Aniah's Law, with an amendment allowing judges more discretion to keep those accused of violent crimes behind bars.

In the meantime, this week, Governor Kay Ivey will give her last state of the state address at the Alabama Capitol building. Ivey has served as the governor of Alabama since 2017. She won a full term as governor in the 2018 election and was re-elected in 2022. Governor Ivey has served for years in public office from treasurer, to lieutenant governor to the state’s top office, which she ascended to upon the resignation of Robert Bentley. She took office with the promise to right the ship and there has never been a hint of wrongdoing during her term of office as the governor. She has led through the pandemic and then treatment after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Governor Ivey has a long legacy of service to Alabama, and there will be plenty of time to judge her governorship when she leaves office. But for now, as she promotes her legislative agenda to lawmakers for the final time, it will be interesting to see what her priorities will be as she closes out her last year in office.

Finally, a recent United States Supreme Court ruling has set the stage for the redistricting battles of 2025 to continue into 2026. The Court gave the green light for Texas to move forward with a newly drawn Congressional map that will likely mean five new GOP seats in the Untied States Congress. Of course, the fight is going on in multiple states across the Nation with both red and blue state legislatures using their muscle to redraw districts to play a role on who will control Congress after the mid-term elections. And if the United States Supreme Court rules in favor of Louisiana in another redistricting case next June, count on Alabama to take the stage next.

Alabama currently has five Republican and two Democrats representing the state in Congress. But don’t be surprised as Alabama Legislators may come back and redrew the map to draw the Democrats out of their federal seats completely as many states in New England have done to Republicans. There is still a while to go but with Democrats in states like California and New York muscling out the GOP, Alabama will step up to the plate to join the fight for sure.

So as we kick off the new year, get ready for a busy and important year in Alabama politics.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He can be found on X, at @Paul_DeMarco.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.