CAMPAIGN 2026: State Rep. Rhett Marques enters District 1 Congressional race

Rhett Marques – Photo from Marques campaign

CAMPAIGN 2026: Republican State Rep. Rhett Marques has announced that he is entering the U.S. House District 1 race.

The District 1 seat will be open because current Congressman Barry Moore is seeking the open seat in the U.S. Senate, which current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is giving up to run for governor.

Marques is in his second term in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing District 91. The district covers part of Coffee County, including Enterprise and Elba. He is originally from Baldwin County and is a graduate of Fairhope High School.

“In Congress, I will be a strong champion for hardworking Alabamians to help President Trump advance his agenda and reverse four years of failed Biden economic policies,” Marques said in a statement.

“While President Trump was providing tax relief to Americans with the One Big Beautiful Bill, I was working on the state level in the Alabama legislature to slash the state taxes on groceries, eliminate the state tax on diapers and baby supplies that are critical for young families, and implement a substantial tax relief package for our seniors.”

Marques and his wife, Christina, have been married for 31 years and have two daughters.

Marques will face off against former District 1 Congressman Jerry Carl, who wants to return to Washington. Carl was defeated by Moore last year in a race that was unusual because of redistricting. Moore, who is from Enterprise, had been the District 2 Congressman, but when Enterprise was placed in District 1, he found himself running against Carl, a fellow incumbent Republican Congressman. It was a battle that Moore won.

District 1 includes Covington County and stretches from the Wiregrass in southeast Alabama westward to the Alabama coast.

The Republican primary will be held on May 19, 2026.