Former Navy SEAL Hudson forces runoff against Trump-backed Barry Moore

Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper who has cast himself as a faith-driven outsider, pushed Alabama’s Republican Senate primary into a runoff and set up a direct clash with Rep. Barry Moore, the Trump-endorsed candidate. Hudson’s rise, built around his military service, his small-business background and the anti-trafficking nonprofit he founded with his wife, Lauren, has made him one of the cycle’s most closely watched Republican challengers.

Hudson advanced after no candidate won outright in the May 19 primary, and the runoff was held June 16. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall conceded after falling short, clearing the way for Hudson and Moore to continue a race that had already become more combative and more nationalized than many expected. Hudson had trailed in conventional political credentials, but he surged late enough to outlast Marshall and force the GOP field into a final two-man contest.

The contest matters far beyond Alabama. Republican strategists and national observers have framed it as a test of whether Donald Trump’s endorsement still guarantees victory in deep-red states, or whether primary voters are open to a candidate who presents himself as an outsider rather than a loyalist. POLITICO and the Associated Press both highlighted the race as one of the clearest MAGA loyalty tests in the 2026 cycle, with Moore carrying the former president’s backing and Hudson trying to turn that same coalition toward a different name on the ballot.

Hudson has leaned hard into his biography. He founded Covenant Rescue Group with Lauren Hudson in 2018, and the nonprofit works with law enforcement on human-trafficking and child-exploitation operations. In local coverage, Hudson has been described as a political outsider and small-business owner, and he has also led a weekly Bible study. Josh Moody, who works with Hudson as chief operating officer at Covenant Rescue Group, has said Hudson’s faith stands out in his work. Hudson has also said, “Covenant Rescue Group is a nonprofit that my wife and I started in 2018.”

The race has drawn real money and unusual attention. A super PAC supporting Hudson spent $520,545 on ads in April, while prediction markets saw more than $460,000 wagered on the runoff in the last two weeks, with nearly $2 million bet collectively. The campaign itself turned sharp, with Hudson and Moore trading accusations over military service and over who best advances parts of Trump’s agenda. Moore’s campaign also filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over social-media activity critical of him, underscoring how high the stakes had become inside Alabama’s Republican Party and for Trump’s broader hold on it.