United_States_Senate_election_in_Alabama,_1996

1996 United States Senate election in Alabama

1996 United States Senate election in Alabama

U.S. Senate election in Alabama

The 1996 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Howell Heflin decided to retire. Republican Jeff Sessions won the open seat, becoming the first of his party to win this seat since Reconstruction in 1868 and only the second Republican ever to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama.

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

The swearing-in or the inauguration of Jeff Sessions marked the first time since 1871 that Republicans simultaneously held both Senate seats. This was the first time ever that a Republican won a full term to this Senate seat in Alabama.

Background

In the 1968 presidential election, Alabama supported native son and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace over both Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Wallace was the official Democratic candidate in Alabama, while Humphrey was listed as the "National Democratic".[1] In 1976, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter from Georgia carried the state, the region, and the nation, but Democratic control of the region slipped after that.

Since 1980, conservative Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the Federal level, especially in Presidential elections. By contrast, Democratic candidates have been elected to many state-level offices and, until 2010, comprised a longstanding majority in the Alabama Legislature.

Three-term incumbent Howell Heflin decided not to seek re-election. A 75-year-old moderate-to-conservative Democrat, Heflin was re-elected in 1990 with over 60% of the vote. Until 2017, Heflin remained the last member of the Democratic Party to win a Senate seat in Republican-turning Alabama (his colleague, Richard Shelby, elected twice as a Democrat, switched his party affiliation to Republican in 1994).

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary first round results by county
  Bedford
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Browder
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Davis
  •   40–50%
  •   60–70%
More information Party, Candidate ...
Democratic primary runoff results by county
  Bedford
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Browder
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
More information Party, Candidate ...

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary first round results by county
  Sessions
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  McDonald
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
More information Party, Candidate ...
Republican primary runoff results by county
  Sessions
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   >90%
  McDonald
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
More information Party, Candidate ...

General election

Candidates

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Alabama". Uselectionatlas.org. November 5, 1968. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  2. [2]
    "Natalie Davis". Birmingham-Southern College. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
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