Barry Moore wins Alabama Senate GOP runoff, becomes front-runner in November

Barry Moore turned Donald Trump’s endorsement into a runoff victory in Alabama’s Republican Senate race, putting the third-term congressman on a clear path to the seat Tommy Tuberville is leaving behind for a governor’s bid. NBC News projected Moore as the winner of the June 16 runoff against retired Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, making him the heavy favorite for November in a race forecasters still rate solidly Republican.

The win was as much a test of Trump’s grip on Alabama Republicans as it was a contest between two candidates with sharply different styles. Moore, who represents Alabama’s 1st Congressional District, entered the runoff after leading Hudson by about 14 percentage points in the May 19 primary. Trump’s backing gave Moore a clear advantage in money and organization, while Hudson cast himself as a political outsider aligned with the president’s America First agenda.

That contrast was sharpened by a campaign that turned unusually combative. Coverage of the race described attacks on Moore’s military service record and questions about crypto money flowing into the contest. Moore publicly released military-service documentation after those criticisms surfaced, and outside crypto-aligned spending, including support from Fairshake and related groups, poured millions of dollars into the race. A June 9 debate in Montgomery also became part of the story after Hudson attended alone when Moore did not.

Moore’s victory does not just settle a nomination fight. It strengthens the argument that Trump’s endorsements still matter most when they are paired with a candidate who already has a base, a record and the institutional advantages that come with federal office. Ballotpedia has noted that Trump’s Alabama endorsements have produced mixed results in past cycles, but in this case the endorsement helped Moore hold together the party’s conservative electorate and withstand a challenge from a well-known newcomer with military credentials.

The broader map remains firmly tilted toward the GOP. Two Democrats were also in a runoff for the same Senate seat, but major election forecasters still consider Alabama’s Senate race safe or solid Republican heading into November. Alabama’s 2026 primary calendar was also distorted by redistricting litigation tied to Voting Rights Act issues, with some congressional primaries postponed as the state moved back toward an earlier map.

For Alabama Republicans, Moore’s likely elevation would keep the state’s Senate seat in Trump’s orbit and reinforce the state’s standing as one of the party’s most reliable strongholds. For the national GOP, it is another sign that in Republican primaries, endorsement power, turnout, and ideological loyalty remain tightly linked.