2026 Alabama's 1st Congressional District Election
Compare candidates’ positions, polling, and sourced race updates.
About this race
This is the 2026 race for Alabama's 1st Congressional District, an open seat because incumbent Rep. Barry Moore (R) is not seeking re-election, instead running for the U.S. Senate. Former Rep. Jerry Carl (R), who represented the district from 2021 to 2025 before losing the 2024 primary to Moore, won the Republican nomination in the August 11, 2026 special primary with about 75% of the vote, defeating Austin Sidwell, John Mills, and Lucas Burger.
Carl, endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Katie Britt, will face Democrat Clyde Jones Jr., a Daphne pastor, in the November 3 general election. The newly redrawn district—covering Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia counties and most of Covington County—is solidly Republican (Cook PVI roughly R+17), giving Carl a strong path back to Congress.
Candidates
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Jerry Carl is a Republican who represented Alabama's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2021 to 2025. He won the Republican nomination in the August 11, 2026 special primary with about 75% of the vote, defeating three opponents, and is favored to reclaim the seat in the November general election. He previously served as a Mobile County commissioner and commission president, and was endorsed by President Donald Trump in this race.
Clyde W. Jones, Jr. is a Democrat running for Alabama's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election against Republican Jerry Carl. A retired U.S. Army First Sergeant with 21 years of service, he is a Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom II veteran and Bronze Star recipient who moved to Baldwin County in 2013. He has been active in community advocacy, including as former president of the Alabama Arise board, and ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Forecast
Jerry Carl favored
Jerry Carl: 95% modeled win probability with a +30.0 pts estimated margin
About this research
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated August 28, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.