Alabama special primary round-up: Low turnout, few surprises in congressional races
Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise, giving a victory speech after winning a special primary election for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District on Aug. 11, 2026, in Enterprise, Alabama. Turnout for the Tuesday's primaries in four congressional districts around the state came in at just over 5%. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
Tuesday’s special Alabama congressional primaries had two things in common: few voters and few surprises.
Those who cast ballots in four of the state’s seven congressional districts — setting up races under a congressional map the U.S. Supreme Court once ruled racially discriminatory — largely favored incumbents, familiar faces or establishment-backed candidates.
Repeated concerns about low turnout in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts, where the primaries took place, also appeared to be realized Tuesday night. As of 10:34 p.m., the Alabama Secretary of State’s office reported turnout of 5.24%, continuing a downward trend through the year. The May 19 p…