After legislation changing the primary date passed and was signed into law, the 2026 primaries are now one year away — May 19, 2026. As set by law, fundraising for state offices has now begun.
Next year will be an unusual election year in Alabama because several statewide officials will have open seats with no incumbent legally running or opting not to run.
On the same day, May 19, 2026, Alabama Democrat and Republican voters will both go to the polls to nominate their candidates for the November general election. Alabama’s statewide officials are 100% Republican, and it is expected to remain that way. For this reason, the eyes of voters, news media and political prognosticators are focused on the Republican primary.
In the statewide constitutional offices, open seats are:
Governor
Governor Kay Ivey is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive time.
Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Gov. Will Ainsworth is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive time.
Attorney General
Attorney General Steve Marshall is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive time.
Agriculture Commissioner
Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive time.
Other seats appear open because the incumbents are running for different offices.
Secretary of State
Incumbent Secretary of State Wes Allen has announced that he will not run for re-election but will run for the open seat of lieutenant governor.
State Auditor
Incumbent State Auditor Andrew Sorrell has announced that he will not run for re-election but will run for the open secretary of state seat.
That leaves one statewide constitutional office, State Treasurer. Incumbent Young Boozer is eligible to run but has not officially announced his intentions.
In addition to the constitutional offices, two associate commissioners are up for re-election on the Alabama Public Service Commission, which does not have term limits. There are also appellate court seats, which have no term limits but an age limit of 70 to run.
Also, the U.S. Senate seat held by incumbent U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) will be on the ballot.
When the bill became law, it changed the date of the 2026 primaries and all the dates in the 2026 election primary cycle. Important new dates to note are the start of fundraising, the deadline to qualify to run, and the deadlines for voter registration and absentee ballots. All the latest dates for the 2026 election cycle are listed in this new election calendar from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office here.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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