Republican Alabama Rep. Barry Moore defeated Navy SEAL veteran Jared Hudson in Tuesday’s Senate runoff race after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Moore’s victory reinforced Trump’s stranglehold on the Republican Party, as most candidates who have earned Trump’s endorsement have won their races throughout the 2026 election cycle. If he wins the general election in November, Moore will replace incumbent Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running to be Alabama’s next governor.
Moore won the May 19 primary 39.2% to 25.6%, according to NBC News’ election results. The two candidates then faced off in a runoff because neither secured the majority of the vote.
One day before the primary, Trump praised Moore as an “America First Patriot” and called on Alabama voters to support him in a Truth Social post.
“Congressman Barry Moore, an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning (He was the first Elected Official in the Country to Endorse me!), is running for the United States Senate in Alabama, a place I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024, getting the highest vote in that Great State’s History,” Trump wrote on May 18.
Moore led Hudson 59.5% to 40.5% with 58% of the vote in as of this writing, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ reported.
Neither candidate has significant policy disagreements with Trump, and both have praised his performance throughout his second term. Moore endorsed Trump for president early on during his first run for president in 2015 and referred to Trump as “the greatest president in [his] lifetime.”
Trump’s endorsement has had a major impact in most races. Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his reelection bid to Republican Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow in the May 18 primary and Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie lost to Ed Gallrein, who was endorsed by Trump.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn in the Senate runoff after receiving a last-minute endorsement from Trump.
However, Trump’s endorsement did not succeed in the Iowa gubernatorial race, where farmer and businessman Zach Lahn beat Republican Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra.
Trump notably endorsed former Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who lost to former Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones in December 2017.
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