By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Alabama Democratic Party closed qualifying on all offices, including the Alabama state Senate.
32 Democrats qualified for the state Senate, and there are a number of Democratic primary contests.
The Senate is currently composed of 26 Republicans, seven Democrats and one independent. Senate District 26 is vacant. The district was recently represented by Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery.
All seven Democratic incumbent Senators are running for another term in the Alabama Senate.
Five have no Democratic primary opponents and no Republican opponents.
The Democrats running for the state Senate include:
- In District 1, Caroline Self is running. That seat is currently represented by Senator Tim Melson, R-Florence.
- In District 2, Michael L. Smith and Amy Wasyluka are running. Incumbent Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison, is retiring from politics after two terms.
- In District 3, no Democrat has qualified. The incumbent is Senator Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, is seeking re-election.
- In District 4, no Democrat has qualified. The incumbent is Senator Paul Bussman, R-Cullman.
- In District 5, Senate Majority Leader Greg J. Reed, R-Jasper, is running for another term.
- In District 6, state Representative Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, is running. Senator Larry Stutts, R-Sheffield, is the incumbent.
- In District 7, Deborah Barros, Johnathan Hard and Deidra Willis are all running in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, is not seeking re-election.
- In District 8, there is no Democratic candidate. The incumbent is Senator Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro.
- In District 9, there is no Democratic candidate. The incumbent is Senator Clay Scofield, R-Guntersville.
- In District 10, there is no Democratic candidate. Incumbent Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, is not seeking another term. State Representative Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, announced on Friday that he is running for the seat as an independent.
- In Senate District 11, Carl Carter is running as a Democrat. Senator Jim McClendon, R-Springville, is the incumbent.
- In District 12, Jim Williams is running. The incumbent is Senate President Del Marsh, R-Anniston.
- In Senate District 13, Darrell Turner is running. Long time incumbent Senator Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, is retiring from the Senate to run for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.
- In District 14, Jerry McDonald is running. The incumbent is Senator Cam Ward, R-Alabaster.
- In District 15, Laura Casey is running for this open seat. Incumbent Senator Slade Blackwell, R-Mountain Brook, is leaving the Senate to run for governor.
- In Senate District 16, Lindsey Deckard is running. The incumbent Senator J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner, R-Vestavia, is running for another term.
- In District 1, no Democrat qualified. The incumbent Senator Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, is running for his second term.
- In District 18, incumbent Senator Roger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, has no primary opponent. Smitherman also has no Republican opponent.
- In District 19, incumbent Senator Priscilla Dunn, D-Bessemer, has no primary opponent. She also has no Republican opponent.
- In District 20, incumbent Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, has no primary opponent. She also has no Republican opponent.
- In District 21, Rick Burnham is running. The incumbent is Senator Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa.
- In District 22, no Democrat is running. The incumbent is Senator Greg Albritton, R-Atmore.
- In District 23, Malika Sanders-Fortier is challenging incumbent Senator Hank Sanders, D-Selma.
- In District 24, Senator Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, has no primary opponent. No Republican qualified to challenge Singleton.
- In District 25, David A. Sadler and Frank Snowden are running. Incumbent Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, is not seeking another term.
- In District 26, Fred Bell, State Representative John Knight, D-Montgomery, and “Coach” David Burkette are all running. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, vacated the seat to become the president of Alabama State University. Burkette and Knight will also be running in a special Democratic primary runoff on Feb. 27. The winner of that will then face Republican D.J. Johnson in the special general election on May 15 for the remainder of Ross’s term. Then, the primary on June 5 actually is for the next four years.
- In Senate District 27, Nancy Carlton Bendinger is running. The incumbent is Senator Tom Whatley, R-Auburn.
- In District 28, incumbent State Senator William M “Billy” Beasley, D-Clayton, has no primary opponent. Beasley has no Republican opponent.
- In District 29, no Democrat has qualified. District 29 is currently held by Senator Harri Anne Smith, the only independent in the Alabama Senate. Smith told reporters that she is running again.
- In District 30, no Democrat has qualified. The incumbent is Senator Clyde Chambliss, Jr., R-Prattville.
- In District 31, no Democrat qualified. The incumbent is Jimmy W. Holley, R-Elba.
- In District 32, Jason Fisher is running. Incumbent state Senator Lee “Trip” Pittman, R-Daphne, is not seeking re-election.
- In District 33, Michael R. Cooley and Victor Tshombe Crawford are both challenging State Senator Vivian Figures, D-Mobile. No Republican is running in Senate District 33.
- In District 34, no Democrat qualified. Incumbent Senator Rusty Glover, R-Semmes, is leaving the Senate to run for the vacant lieutenant governor’s seat.
- In District 35, Tom Holmes is running. Incumbent Senator Bill Hightower, R-Mobile, is vacating the seat to run for governor.
The major party primaries will be on June 5, 2018.
