The filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Alabama this year was Feb. 11, 2022. Twenty-two candidates are running for Alabama’s seven U.S. House districts, including 13 Republicans and eight Democrats. That’s 3.14 candidates per district, less than the 3.57 candidates per district in 2020 and 3.28 in 2018.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Alabama was apportioned seven districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
- Six districts are currently represented by Republicans and one district—the 7th—is represented by a Democrat, Rep. Terri Sewell. This number has not changed since 2010, when Sewell was first elected.
- Sewell will face a general election challenger for the first time since 2012, making this year the first time in a decade that Democrats are not guaranteed to win a seat because no Republicans filed.
- Two districts — the 1st and the 6th — are guaranteed to Republicans since no Democrats filed for election, the highest number since 2016.
- One district — the 5th — is open, with incumbent Rep. Mo Brooks (R) running for the U.S. Senate. Brooks was first elected in 2010, and eight candidates — two Democrats and six Republicans — are running to replace him.
- The eight candidates running in the 5th district are the most running for one seat this year. That’s one less than in 2020, when nine candidates — two Democrats and seven Republicans — ran for the 2nd district.
- This year’s open seat is one more than in 2012, the previous post-redistricting election year. There were two open seats in 2020, no open seats in 2018 and 2016, and one open seat in 2014.
- There are two contested Republican primaries this year, the lowest number since at least 2012. There are three contested Democratic primaries, one more than in 2020, but one less than in 2018.
- Five incumbents – four Republicans and one Democrat – will not face any primary challengers.
Alabama and two other states — Arkansas and Georgia — are holding primary elections on May 24. A primary candidate must win a majority of the vote in order to be declared the winner in Alabama. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a June 21 runoff.
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