The 2010 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 2, 2010, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Richard Shelby won re-election to a fifth term.

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2010 United States Senate election in Alabama

← 2004 November 2, 2010 2016 →

Nominee Richard Shelby William G. Barnes Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 968,181 515,619 Percentage 65.18% 34.71%

County results Shelby:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Barnes:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election Richard Shelby Republican Elected U.S. Senator Richard Shelby Republican

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In 1986, Shelby won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat held by Republican Jeremiah Denton, the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since Reconstruction. He won a very close race as the Democrats regained control of the Senate. He was easily re-elected in 1992 even as Bill Clinton lost Alabama's electoral votes.

On November 9, 1994, Shelby switched his party affiliation to Republican, one day after the Republicans won control of both houses in the midterm elections, giving the Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate. He won his first full term as a Republican in 1998 by a large margin, and faced no significant opposition in 2004.

Shelby was popular in Alabama. A September 2009 poll showed he had a 58% approval rating, with 35% disapproving.^[1]