Carl Wins Alabama's 1st District Congressional Seat
Republican Jerry Carl won the open 1st Congressional District seat in Alabama's general election.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
Republican Jerry Carl won Alabama's open 1st Congressional District in the general election, defeating Democrat Clyde Jones, an Army veteran. Decision Desk HQ projected the result.
Why it matters
Carl's return to Congress follows a 2024 primary loss to Rep. Barry Moore after redistricting placed the two Republicans in the same district. The seat is now filled after Moore chose to run for Senate instead of seeking reelection.
Carl's 2024 primary loss to Moore came by just over 3 percentage points, the margin that followed redistricting. Final vote totals and the margin over Democrat Clyde Jones were not reported in the available data.
The players
Jerry Carl
A Republican who previously represented Alabama in Congress from 2021 to 2025 and served on the House Appropriations and Natural Resources committees.
Barry Moore
A Republican congressman who defeated Carl in the 2024 GOP primary and opted to run for Senate instead of seeking reelection to the House seat.
The details
Carl, a Republican former representative, defeated Democrat Clyde Jones in the race for Alabama's open 1st Congressional District, which includes the city of Mobile. Moore, also a Republican, opted to run for Senate rather than seek reelection to the House seat.
Timeline
2024: Carl lost the GOP primary to Moore after redistricting.
2025: Carl's congressional service ended.
November 3, 2026: Election day; Carl won the 1st District seat.
Season Trajectory
The result follows the 2024 redistricting that forced Carl and Moore into a single district and ended Carl's first tenure in Congress. It shows how mid-decade map changes in Alabama reshaped the Republican primary field before the November general election.
Carl's return restores Alabama's 1st District representation in Congress for the next term. The outcome determines which Republican holds the seat that Moore vacated for his Senate run.
The takeaway
District boundaries drawn during redistricting can decide which incumbents remain viable, and Alabama's 1st District shows how a single map change can reshape both a primary and a general election. Voters tracking congressional races should watch how new district lines affect candidate fields.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Elections across Alabama.
