Alabama Democrats Post Primary Gains as Republican Turnout Drops From 2022 Levels
Why It Matters
Alabama’s May 19 primary delivered a notable shift in voter participation patterns, with Democratic turnout rising sharply across several key counties while Republican ballot totals fell well below their 2022 midterm levels. The results could signal changing political dynamics ahead of November general elections in a state Republicans have long dominated.
What Happened
Republican voters still cast the majority of ballots statewide in the May 19 Alabama primary, but their share of total participation dropped significantly compared to four years ago. Democrats, meanwhile, posted substantial increases in multiple counties — including some that are traditionally Republican strongholds.
Data from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office shows that just over 493,000 Republican ballots were cast, representing roughly 57% of total primary votes. In the 2022 midterm primary, Republican ballots numbered approximately 660,800 and made up about 78% of all votes cast statewide.
The Democratic primary this cycle was notably more competitive than in 2022, featuring former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, who secured the party’s gubernatorial nomination. Democratic county organizers also pointed to heightened voter engagement tied to congressional redistricting disputes, which drew large protests to the state legislature and voting rights rallies in Selma and Montgomery just days before the primary.
By the Numbers
- 493,000 — Republican ballots cast statewide on May 19, down from approximately 660,800 in 2022
- Limestone County saw GOP ballots fall from nearly 19,400 in 2022 to just over 11,000 this cycle
- Madison County Democratic ballots surged from roughly 11,900 in 2022 to approximately 35,100
- Mobile County Democratic ballots climbed from about 13,000 in 2022 to 33,800
- Baldwin County — a reliably Republican area — saw Democratic primary participation jump from 2,117 to 6,615, while Republican ballots there declined modestly
County-Level Shifts
Several individual counties illustrated the broader trend in sharper detail. In Colbert County, Republican ballots fell from nearly 9,100 in 2022 to just over 4,900 this year. In Tuscaloosa County, Democratic ballots nearly tripled, rising from just over 5,300 to approximately 15,400. Both Mobile and Tuscaloosa counties recorded more Democratic ballots than Republican ones on primary day.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, acknowledged the results and called on voters to maintain their engagement ahead of upcoming elections. “We encourage voters to keep that same momentum going as we head into the June 16 primary runoff elections and the August 11 special primary election,” he said in a statement.
Democratic organizers attributed the gains to a combination of factors: increased enthusiasm among younger voters, active registration drives at universities, and national economic concerns. Ben Harris, chair of the Mobile County Democratic Party, cited U.S. Supreme Court rulings related to congressional district maps as a galvanizing force. Jonathan Buchwalter, chair of the Tuscaloosa Democratic Party, described a wave of first-time political engagement among voters in their late teens and early twenties. “People who are 19 or 20 years old, they’re really showing interest in politics for the first time,” he said.
Buchwalter also pointed to cost-of-living pressures and the ongoing U.S. military engagement with Iran as factors motivating Democratic-leaning voters to participate. “If I was a Republican voter, I wouldn’t be very motivated to vote for Republicans,” he said, arguing that national economic conditions have dampened enthusiasm on the Republican side.
Zoom Out
Alabama’s primary results fit a pattern emerging in several states where Democratic primary participation has risen in advance of competitive fall elections. Redistricting battles and economic discontent have been consistent themes driving turnout in off-cycle contests nationally. Alabama Democrats are also watching similar political realignment plays unfolding in other states, where party candidates are navigating increasingly fluid voter coalitions ahead of midterm-style elections.
What’s Next
Alabama voters will return to the polls for a primary runoff on June 16, followed by a special primary election on August 11. Democrats will look to sustain their participation gains through those contests as the party eyes potential legislative pickups — particularly in Madison County — come November.