Robertson Wins Alabama Attorney General Race
Republican Katherine Robertson defeats Democrat Jeff McLaughlin to become the state's first woman elected attorney general.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Elections
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Katherine Robertson won the Alabama attorney general election over Democrat Jeff McLaughlin, receiving 919,903 votes, or 54.9%, to McLaughlin's 753,384 votes, or about 45%. She will succeed Attorney General Steve Marshall when she takes office in January.
Why it matters
Robertson's win makes her the first woman to hold Alabama's attorney general post and succeeds Marshall, who had led the office. Her vote total exceeded that of other statewide Republican candidates, giving her a notable mandate in the state's top legal office.
Robertson received 919,903 votes, or 54.9%, compared with McLaughlin's 753,384 votes, or about 45%, in the statewide race. Her vote total exceeded that of Republicans Andrew Sorrell, Barry Moore and Tommy Tuberville, who together received 872,561 votes.
The players
Katherine Robertson
Robertson is a Republican lawyer who previously served as chief counsel to Attorney General Steve Marshall and as legislative counsel to former U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions.
Steve Marshall
Marshall is Alabama's outgoing attorney general, whose office Robertson will assume in January.
Jeff McLaughlin
McLaughlin is the Democratic nominee who lost the attorney general race to Robertson.
The details
Robertson, who grew up on a family farm in Dallas County, studied political science at Auburn University and law at the University of Alabama. She previously served as legislative counsel to Jeff Sessions on the Senate Judiciary Committee, as vice president of the Alabama Policy Institute, and as chief counsel under Marshall beginning in March 2017.
Timeline
March 2017: Marshall named Robertson chief counsel.
November 3, 2026: Robertson defeated McLaughlin in the election.
January 2027: Robertson is set to succeed Marshall as attorney general.
Season Trajectory
Robertson's rise traces a path from federal legislative counsel to Alabama's top legal office, following the Republican pipeline that has carried former Senate staff into statewide roles. Her election places her in the attorney general seat that Marshall held as he prepared for other political opportunities.
Robertson's office will oversee the state's legal positions and prosecutions beginning in January. Residents who follow state legal matters will see a change in leadership at the attorney general's office when she takes over.
The takeaway
Robertson's career, from Sessions's Senate staff to Alabama's attorney general, shows how federal experience can translate into statewide office. Voters in Alabama now have a new legal chief to evaluate as she assumes the role.
What happens next
Robertson will take office as Alabama attorney general in January 2027, succeeding Steve Marshall.
Further reading
For more on statewide contests, see Alabama Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Yellowhammer News.
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