Copyright AL.com
Democrats are basking in decisive victories from Tuesday’s elections, results that some Republicans have shrugged off as predictable wins in blue strongholds. But Democrats also scored gains in reliably red states such as Georgia and Mississippi. In Mississippi, where Republicans control nearly every statewide office, Democrats flipped enough state Senate seats to end the GOP’s supermajority that had stood since 2011. With President Donald Trump’s approval ratings slipping, Democrats are eyeing the 2026 midterms with fresh optimism for the first time since last November’s losses. The question now is whether that momentum can carry into deep red Alabama, where Trump remains popular. Most observers doubt Democrats can replicate their Southern wins in Alabama, but the party believes the political winds may be shifting after an election that saw resounding Democratic wins in contests nationwide. The Alabama Democratic Party says it is “actively recruiting candidates” and has been doing so since 2023. However, fundraising remains far behind Republicans statewide. The governor’s race heavily favors Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a close Trump ally. Still, Democrats see openings farther down the ballot, particularly in county races and legislative contests. To weaken the GOP’s supermajority hold on the Statehouse and replicate Mississippi’s success, Democrats would need to flip at least eight seats in the Alabama House and four in the Senate. “The 2026 midterms are an opportunity for Democrats across the country to pick up seats, and it will require good candidates with a message that speaks to affordability and kitchen-table issues,” said Kevin Akins, a Montgomery-based Democratic strategist. “Alabama Democrats have time to recruit statewide, but there’s real opportunity to chip away at Republican supermajorities in the Legislature, with an eye toward flipping swing suburban and exurban seats.” State Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, the state House minority leader, said the results on Tuesday will lead to more candidates seeking to run for office next year. The deadline for major party candidates is Jan. 23, 2026. “With where we are at now, if there is not a shift in policy, you will see organically people that you wouldn’t necessarily see running for office starting to run for office,” Daniels said. Republicans, however, have recent history on their side. In 2018, even amid a national Democratic wave, GOP voters turned out in force to pass two conservative constitutional amendments on the Ten Commandments and rights of the unborn, and kept firm control of statewide offices and the Legislature. “Obviously (Tuesday) set off alarm bells for conservative voters across the country,” said Angi Horn, a GOP strategist based in Montgomery. “But I think it is not an alarm bell on whether this will happen to us but whether this is something we have to do with messaging in Alabama elections … and remind the people that we are a conservative state with conservative values who needs conservative leaders.” Political observers say there are lessons Alabama Democrats can draw from Tuesday’s results. Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University and longtime observer of Alabama politics, said the Virginia governor’s race illustrated the type of candidate who can succeed in the South — one focused on state issues rather than national ideological battles. However, Brown said Alabama Democrats face an electoral climate that is “much worse” than what Virginia Democrats faced Tuesday, when Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the governor’s race by more than 15 percentage points. Her victory came less than a year after Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris carried Virginia by fewer than 6 points. Trump’s won Alabama by 30.5 percentage points. Only North Dakota and Oklahoma had higher margins of victory for Trump last year. “Alabama, in my view, remains too crimson red and Trumpian for Democrats to expect victory,” Brown said. “Their best hope is to enhance their position as a more credible challenge to the GOP. Democrats should remember it took the Alabama GOP almost 20 years to move from absolute irrelevance as a major party to being the dominant party.” Perhaps the biggest difference since 2018 is the surge of progressive political organizing across Alabama, backed by groups like Indivisible. The “No Kings” protests in Mobile, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and even smaller Republican-leaning cities such as Fairhope and Oxford have drawn large crowds. Maura Mandyck, who has coordinated “No Kings” rallies in Mobile, said more events are planned to keep supporters engaged. The group is promoting what it calls a “mass economic blackout” from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, urging the public to avoid spending during the week that includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Early next year, the organization plans to hold an open house to encourage more participation. “We know that progressives in Mobile and Baldwin County need community, and we want to nurture that as well,” Mandyck said. “I absolutely believe the success we saw in (Tuesday’s) elections will remind people that together we are stronger. And that we must come together now.” Daniels said Democratic candidates in 2026 will focus on working-class issues and helping voters who have lost federal food assistance during the government shutdown. Health care access will also be a top issue, he said. He pointed to a recent job fair in Huntsville, where he said about 1,300 people stood in line seeking work, and another 500 “were unable to get into the building.” “There will be an uprising and a pushback from the citizens,” Daniels said. “The backlash from the federal level, if we are not trying to be more vocal on why we need help in Alabama, we’ll be casualties of war.”
