2022 Alabama Senate election

The 2022 Alabama Senate elections took place on November 8, 2022, as part of the 2022 United States elections. Alabama voters elected state senators in all 35 of the state's Senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate in Montgomery.

A primary election on May 24, 2022, and a runoff election on June 22, 2022, determined which candidates appear on the November 8 general election ballot for the Alabama Republican Party and the Alabama Democratic Party. Libertarian candidates were nominated by party convention. This was the first time that the Libertarian Party of Alabama was on the ballot since 2002. Primary election results can be obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State's website.

Following the 2018 election cycle, Republicans maintained effective control of the Senate with 27 members, while Democrats hold eight seats.

Republicans retained control of the Alabama Senate with 27 seats after the 2022 elections.

Democrats

 * 1) District 19: Priscilla Dunn retired due to health issues.
 * 2) District 23: Malika Sanders-Fortier retired to run for governor of Alabama.

Republicans

 * 1) District 11: Jim McClendon retired.
 * 2) District 12: Del Marsh retired.
 * 3) District 31: Jimmy Holley retired.

Republicans

 * 1) District 27: Tom Whatley lost renomination to Jay Hovey.

Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

District 1
Second term incumbent Republican Senate Tim Melson had represented the Alabama Senate 1st District since November 2014. He was challenged by construction manager John Sutherland in the Republican primary after Sutherland sued to stop a 2-cent gas tax extension from being pushed through by the Lauderdale County Agricultural Authority, headed by Tim Melson, in order to build an event center just outside the city of Florence, Alabama. Melson defeated Sutherland by a margin of almost 40 points. No Democrats or Libertarians filed to run in the general election, leaving Melson unopposed in the general election.

District 2
First term incumbent Republican senator Tom Butler had represented the 2nd District since November 2018. He ran for reelection. Former state senator Bill Holtzclaw challenged Butler in the primary for his old seat, citing a "lack of communication" in the district during the current term. Butler defeated Holtzclaw by a margin of 20 points in the primary. PROJECTXYZ founder and former Huntsville Chamber of Commerce Chair Kim Caudle Lewis contested the district in the general election.

District 3
Fourth term incumbent Republican senator Arthur Orr had represented Alabama Senate 2nd District since November 2006. He ran for reelection. Retired electrical engineer Rick Chandler was nominated by the Libertarian Party and challenged Orr in the general election.

District 4
First term incumbent Republican senator Garlan Gudger ran unopposed.

District 5
Third term incumbent and President pro tempore Greg Reed ran unopposed.

District 6
Second term incumbent Republican senator Larry Stutts had represented Alabama Senate 6th District since November 2014. United States Navy veteran Kyle Richard-Garrison was nominated by the Libertarian Party and challenged Stutts in the general election.

District 7
First term incumbent Republican senator Sam Givhan had represented the 7th District since November 2018. Huntsville resident and University of Montevallo alumnus Korey Wilson challenged Givhan in the general election.

District 8
Second term incumbent Republican senator Steve Livingston ran unopposed.

District 9
Third term incumbent Republican senator Clay Scofield ran unopposed.

District 10
First term incumbent Republican senator Andrew Jones ran unopposed.

District 11
Two-term senator Jim McClendon announced that he would retire following the 2022 elections. Municipal court judge and city attorney Lance Bell along with federal prison chaplain Michael Wright ran in the primary to replace McClendon. Bell stomped Wright in the primary. Since no Democrats or Libertarians filed to run for the seat, Bell ran unopposed in the general election.

District 12
Fifth term Republican senator Del Marsh had represented the 12th District since November 1998. He announced his retirement following the 2022 elections. Lawyer Wendy Ghee Draper, real estate firm owner Keith Kelley and Weaver mayor Wayne Willis all ran in the primary to replace Marsh. During the campaign, a ballot challenge was filed against Draper due to her past donations to prominent Democrats. However, the Alabama Republican Party allowed her to remain on the ballot. In the primary, no candidate more than half of the total vote, so Draper and Kelley advanced to a runoff. In the runoff, Kelley defeated Draper by a ten-point margin. Certified public accountant Danny McCullars was nominated by the Democratic Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 13
First term incumbent Republican senator Randy Price had represented the 13th District since November 2018. He ran for reelection. Retired firefighter and pastor John Coker challenged price in the primary election. Price defeated Coker in the primary. No Democrats or Libertarians filed to run for this seat, leaving Price unopposed in the general election.

District 14
April Weaver ran unopposed for her first full term after being appointed to succeed Cam Ward in 2021.

District 15
First term incumbent Republican Senate Dan Roberts had represented Alabama Senate 15th District since November 2018. Urologist Brain Chistine challenged Roberts in the Republican primary. Roberts defeated Christine by a spread of twenty points. Michael Crump was nominated by the Libertarian Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 16
Ninth term incumbent Republican senator J. T. Waggoner ran unopposed in the 16th District, which he had represented since February 1990. Waggoner had been in and out of Alabama government continuously since 1966.

District 17
Third term incumbent Republican Senateor Shay Shelnutt had represented the 17th District since November 2018. He ran for reelection. United States Marine Corps veteran Mike Dunn challenged Shelnutt in the primary after withdrawing from the 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama. Shelnutt defeated Dunn by a forty-point margin in that election. John Fortenberry was nominated by the Libertarian Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 18
Eighth term incumbent Democratic senator Rodger Smitherman ran unopposed; he had represented the 18th District since February 1994.

District 19
Fourth term Democratic senator Priscilla Dunn had represented Alabama Senate 19th District since 2009. She announced she would not run in the 2022 elections after her failing health caused her to miss most of the preceding legislative session. State Representatives Louise Alexander and Merika Coleman ran in the primary to replace Dunn. Coleman beat Alexander in the primary. Automotive technician Danny Wilson was nominated by the Libertarian Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 20
Fifth term incumbent Democratic senator Linda Coleman-Madison had represented Alabama Senate 20th District since February 2006. She was challenged by perennial candidate Rodney Huntley in the primary election. Coleman-Madison beat Huntley. No Republicans or Libertarians filed to run for this seat, leaving Coleman-Madison unopposed in the general election.

District 21
Third term incumbent Republican senator Gerald Allen had represented the 21st District since November 2010. He ran for reelection. Gary, Indiana native and Democratic activist Lisa Ward was nominated by the Democratic Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 22
Second term incumbent Republican senator Greg Albritton had represented the 22nd District since November 2018. He ran for reelection. Retired United States Army chaplain Stephen Sexton challenged Albritton in the primary, receiving one third of the vote.

District 23
First term Democratic senator Malika Sanders-Fortier retired to run in the 2022 Alabama gubernatorial election, eventually losing in a runoff to Yolanda Flowers. Former Selma mayor Darrio Melton, former Democratic state senator and Sanders-Fortier's father Hank Sanders, former candidate for Selma mayor Thayer Spencer and accountant Robert Stewart all ran in the primary to replace Sanders-Fortier. However, no candidate won more than half of the vote so Sanders and Stewart advanced to a runoff. In the runoff, Stewart defeated Sanders by about ten percentage points. Butler County School Board member Michael Nimmer was nominated by the Republican Party, and political consultant Portia Shepherd was nominated by the Libertarian Party to run for the seat.

District 24
Fifth term incumbent Democratic senator and Minority Leader Bobby Singleton had represented the 24th District since 2005. Demopolis native Richard Benderson was nominated by the Libertarian Party and challenged Singleton in the general election.

District 25
First term incumbent Republican senator Will Barfoot had represented the 25th District since November 2018. Retired Alabama Department of Public Health statistician and Holt native Louie Albert Woolbright was nominated by the Libertarian Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 26
Kirk Hatcher ran for his first full term unopposed after succeeding David Burkette in 2021.

District 27
Three term incumbent Republican senator Tom Whatley was controversially defeated in the primary by Auburn city councilman Jay Hovey by a single vote. Shortly after, a New York Times editorial emerged telling a story of how a creative writing professor at Auburn University had convinced a substantial amount of avowed Democrats to vote in the Republican primary for Hovey due to Whatley's "abhorrent" record on legislation regarding abortion. After this article emerged, Whatley declared himself "the rightful winner" of the election and produced a testimony from a single voter still registered in Georgia who stated they would have voted for Whatley if they were able. However, Whatley soon conceded the election to Hovey before an official recount could be conducted at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters. This election will likely lead to the Alabama Legislature passing laws requiring closed primary elections in last legislative session of the 2022 calendar year. United States Army Human Resources Officer Sherri Reese was nominated by the Democratic Party and challenged Hovey in the general election.

District 28
Third term incumbent Democratic senator Billy Beasley had represented the 20th District since November 2010. Tuskegee mayor pro tempore Frank "Chris" Lee challenged Beasley in the primary. Beasley narrowly defeated Lee in the primary election. Dothan native David Boatwright was nominated by the Libertarian Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 29
First term Republican senator Donnie Chesteen had represented the 29th District since November 2018. Former state representative Nathan Mathis was nominated by the Democratic Party, and Daleville native Floyd "Pete" McBroom was nominated by the Libertarian Party to run for the seat.

District 30
Second term incumbent Republican Senate Clyde Chambliss haf represented the 30th District since 2014. He ran unopposed.

District 31
Sixth term incumbent Republican senator Jimmy Holley had represented the 31st District since November 1998. He announced his retirement following the 2022 election cycle. Coffee County Commissioner Josh Carnley, aircraft mechanic "Stormin'" Norman Horton, and State Representative Mike Jones all ran in the primary to replace Holley. Carnley cleared the field without needing a runoff. No Democrats or Libertarians filed to run for the seat, leaving Carnley unopposed in the general election.

District 32
First term incumbent Republican senator Chris Elliott ran unopposed in the 32nd district.

District 33
Seventh term incumbent Democratic senator Vivian Figures had represented the 29th District since 1997. Retired United States Navy CO and commercial real estate broker Pete Riehm was nominated by the Republican Party and contested the district in the general election.

District 34
First term incumbent Republican senator Jack Williams ran unopposed in the 34th district.

District 35
First-term incumbent Republican Senator David Sessions had represented the 35th district since 2018. The Libertarian Party nominated systems analyst Clifton Hudson, who challenged Sessions in the general election.