Katie Britt

Ahead of the 2024 Republican primary in Alabama’s 1st Congressional District, then-Rep. Jerry Carl rolled out dozens of endorsements from mayors, sheriffs, county commissioners, and other local officials stretching from Baldwin County through the Wiregrass.

“It was 90 different endorsements,” Carl recently recalled. “It did us no good. I think endorsements are overplayed.”

Carl is once again running for the 1st District nomination in the May 19 primary that is now considered Alabama’s most hotly contested U.S. House race. But this time, his main opponent, state Rep. Rhett Marques of Enterprise, is the one securing key endorsements.

Will it matter?

The candidates recently weighed in on whether endorsements—from high‑profile politicians like U.S. Sen. Katie Britt or influential groups like the Alabama Farmers Federation, which is supporting Carl, and Manufacture Alabama, which is backing Marques —actually influence voters.

Britt’s influence

Marques launched his campaign in August with Britt’s endorsement and a $10,000 maximum contribution from her Alabama First PAC. He has since added support from legislative leaders, including Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth.

“I’ve been honored to have all of them,” Marques said. His website highlights endorsements from groups such as Manufacture Alabama and the Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama. “They know they need someone in Washington, D.C. who will take up the conservative fight and help President Trump.”

Carl said he doesn’t believe endorsements will matter, arguing that candidates must show voters who they are as public servants. “We haven’t seen it yet,” Carl said.

“I think the voters of South Alabama are smart enough to know who they want to vote for,” he added. “Does an endorsement influence it a little bit? Of course it does. But there is so much difference (among the candidates) in this race. Not just personality wise, but with knowledge. I got 40 years in the private sector, as a county commissioner, and four years in Congress. You add these other (candidates) together and you don’t get close enough on the (years) of knowledge.”

Britt’s early involvement has loomed large. A fellow Enterprise resident, she backed Marques with both her endorsement and the maximum political action committee (PAC) contribution.

Marques said that while “other factors” will ultimately determine the race, Britt’s support matters—especially given her high approval rating in the district.

“She moves the needle,” said Marques, who has campaigned with Britt during the race. “She’s been great for the state. So has Lieutenant Governor Ainsworth and Speaker Ledbetter. They are great leaders.”

Differing viewpoints

Other Republican candidates say endorsements won’t sway voters.

“I think in this election, people aren’t looking at endorsements as closely as they have before,” said Joshua McKee, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret from Robertsdale. “They are looking for people who can stand on their own feet and don’t have to rely upon outside influence. We are tired of the outside influence.”

Jimmy Dees, a Fairhope resident and Mobile Police Department detective, said low‑turnout primary voters likely already know their choice and won’t be moved by endorsements.

James Richardson of Headland said while campaigning that he hasn’t heard voters discussing endorsements.

But Austin Sidwell, a Fairhope resident and vice president of a family security company, said endorsements matter depending on how close the endorser is to the community. He pointed to his endorsement from the conservative Fairhope Faith Collective, saying it represents the voters “who I am looking for in an endorsement.”

Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University and longtime observer of Alabama politics, said endorsements are rarely a decisive factor in a contest but can still matter.

“There are voters who follow all sorts of various cues and guides for voting,” Brown said. “And in a primary election, some voters near election day are struggling to distinguish one candidate from another.”

He said Britt’s endorsement is particularly meaningful.

“Senator Britt may be Alabama’s high profile officeholder with the best image among independent voters,” he said. “I would certainly rather have her endorsement in a GOP primary than face an opponent with it. While her endorsement may not be determinative, I do view it as a net positive development for a candidate who gets it.”

1st District uncertainty

Ultimately, endorsements—and even the May 19 primary outcome—may be overshadowed if the 1st District is redrawn.

State lawmakers in Montgomery are debating congressional redistricting and the possibility of special elections following last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which found Louisiana’s congressional map to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling also suggested the Voting Rights Act did not require the creation of an additional majority‑minority district.

Any changes will only take effect if the Supreme Court allows Alabama to redistrict. The state is currently under a 2023 court order blocking redistricting until 2030. But Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed three emergency motions last week seeking to vacate lower court rulings that blocked the Legislature’s 2023 map.

That map would restore the 1st District combining Mobile and Baldwin counties, similar to boundaries used since 1980. The 2nd District—now represented by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures and drawn as an opportunity district for Black voters—would revert to a majority-Republican district. The 2023 map would maintain one Black Democratic district, long represented by Rep. Terri Sewell.