Democrats flip two Alabama Senate seats as District 10 remains close

Democratic nominees across Alabama outperformed past results on Tuesday, leading to two flips for the state Democratic Party in Senate Districts 2 and 7. Both districts are largely within Madison County.

In District 2, Democratic nominee Rudolph Valentino Drake beat Republican nominee John Roberts, 55.9 percent to 43.8 percent. Republican Tom Butler previously held the seat and received 55.5 percent of the vote in 2022.

According to reporting by AL.com and other outlets, court documents from 2021 and 2022 accused Drake of stalking a former romantic partner, and a court granted an injunction against him. In the final months of the campaign, Roberts argued that this personal history revealed a temperament unsuitable for representing District 2.

Public campaign finance records also show that Roberts far outspent Drake. Roberts spent more than three-quarters of a million dollars during the campaign, while Drake spent less than $25,000.

In District 7, Democratic nominee Jared Sluss eked out a victory in the heavily Republican district, winning by fewer than 600 votes, according to unofficial results.

In 2022, Senator Sam Givhan, whom Sluss beat on Tuesday, won easily with more than 62 percent of the vote. Givhan had represented the district since 2018. On Tuesday, he received just 49.5 percent of the vote.

As in the District 2 race, campaign finance reports show that the Republican candidate significantly outspent his Democratic opponent. Givhan outspent Sluss by more than 21 to 1. After the results came in, Sluss shared a concise message with his supporters on Facebook: “WE WON!!!!!!!”

Democratic candidate and public school teacher Spencer Stone also performed impressively in District 16, although his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.

Running against incumbent Senator J.T. Waggoner, Stone received more than 46 percent of the vote despite spending almost no money, while Waggoner’s campaign spent more than $1 million.

The last time Waggoner faced a Democratic opponent before Tuesday, the Democrat received just 37.1 percent of the vote. Waggoner ran unopposed in 2022.

The race in District 10 appears likely to head to a recount, as conservative independent Jesse Battles leads Republican incumbent Andrew Jones by fewer than 100 votes.

Battles was removed from the Republican primary ballot earlier this year over accusations of working as a political consultant for Democratic state Senate candidate Craig Ford in 2018.

On Facebook, Jones asked for voters’ patience as election officials count provisional ballots and a recount remains possible. “Tuesday night’s vote margin appears to be within the threshold for an automatic recount,” he wrote. “Additionally, it is my understanding that there are a good number of provisional ballots still to be reviewed.”

Incumbents and favored candidates won handily in the 12 other contested races this year. Senators Arthur Orr, Larry Stutts, Steve Livingston, Lance Bell, Randy Price, April Weaver, Gerald Allen, Robert Stewart, Will Barfoot, Billy Beasley and Chris Elliott all won reelection.

Terry Waters, who beat Greg Albritton in the May primary, also won his first term representing District 22 in the state Senate.

Nineteen state Senate districts also had uncontested races this year. If Battles wins and caucuses with Republicans, the state Senate will begin its next legislative session with 25 members in the Republican caucus and 10 Democrats.