MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama announced Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, seeking the positionbeing vacated by Sen. Tommy Tubervillewho is running for governor. Moore is in his third term in Congress and is a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. In a campaign video announcing his candidacy, he emphasized his history as an early supporter ofPresident Donald Trump. "I'm running for Senate because the people of Alabama deserve a Trump conservative and a working man who will defend their freedoms," Moore, who's in the construction and demolition business, said. He promised to "defend the MAGA agenda in the Senate, just like I have as a member of the Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives." A former member of the Alabama Legislature, Moore was first elected to Congress in 2020. He has the rare distinction of winning elections in two different congressional districts. For the 2024 election, a federal court ordered Alabama to use anew congressional mapbecause the old map illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents. Moore's home was drawn out of his district by those new maps. Rather than moving to seek his old seat, Moore optedto challenge the incumbentRepublican in the more solidly Republican 1st District. He won the election after a hard-fought primary. In 2021, Moore's personal Twitter account was suspended — leading him todelete the account— following tweets he made in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. With Tuberville running for governor instead of a second term in the Senate, the rare open seat is expected to draw a number of candidates. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican,is also runningfor the Senate. The party primaries are May 19, 2026.
