CAMPAIGN 2026: Special primaries Tuesday in some Alabama U.S. House districts

CAMPAIGN 2026 (WAKA) – Voters in four of Alabama’s congressional districts will be deciding nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives in special primaries.

Tuesday’s special primaries are being held in congressional districts 1, 2, 6 and 7, which cover all of the Action 8 viewing area except for Tallapoosa and Lee counties.

CAMPAIGN 2026: See complete ballot for August 11 special primaries

The reason for the special primaries is that the district lines were changed earlier this year, which put some voters into different districts.

This will be the Congressional district map used in the 2026 elections. Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 have had their lines altered from the court-drawn map used in 2024 – Photo from Alabama Governor’s Office

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to change the lines back to where they generally had been before the were altered to give Black voters a greater chance at electing a Black member to the U.S. House. That’s what happened in 2024, when Black Democrat Shomari Figures was elected to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.

Now that the lines have been shifted to what they’d been prior to 2024, the 2nd Congressional District will be more favorable to Republicans. Action 8 Political Analyst Steve Flowers says it won’t be impossible for Figures to win re-election to a second term, it will just be more difficult.

For now, Figures is unopposed in the Democratic primary for District 2, but there are six Republicans running to be the one to face him in November.

As for the other districts, in District 1, former Republican Congressman Jerry Carl is trying to win back his seat now that those district lines have been shifted back to make the seat more centered on Mobile and the Alabama coast.  There are four candidates in the Republican primary. Clyde Jones is the only Democrat.

In District 6, incumbent Republican Congressman Gary Palmer has one opponent, Case Dixon. There are four Democrats running.

In District 7, incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell is unopposed in the primary, while there are two Republicans running.

Polls are open from 7AM-7PM Tuesday. Action 8 News will have results at the bottom of your TV screen, on our website and mobile app.