With the Alabama Republican Party opting to remove the primary opponents of State Sens. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) and Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) from the upcoming May ballot, the number of Senate Republicans facing primary challengers drops to seven.
The following provides a breakdown of each candidate in the contested races.
District 1
State Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence) is seeking to serve a third term in the Alabama Senate. Melson is chair of the Senate Education Policy Committee and vice chair of the Finance and Taxation Education Committee.
Melson will face off against John Sutherland in the GOP primary.
Sutherland in August 2020 filed suit against the Lauderdale County Agricultural Authority in an effort to block the construction of its proposed agriculture center due to a dispute over funding mechanisms. Melson was chair of the authority at the time of Sutherland’s lawsuit.
Senate District 1 includes portions of Madison, Limestone and Lauderdale Counties.
District 2
State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison) is nearing the completion of his 20th year of service in the Senate. He served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1982 through 1994, when he was elected to the upper chamber. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee chair faces opposition in his bid for reelection from a familiar name in former State Sen. Bill Holtzclaw.
Holtzclaw served in the Senate from 2010 until 2018 when he considered mounting a primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) for Alabama’s fifth congressional district, an endeavor he would eventually opt against. Prior to his 2010 election to the Senate, Holtzclaw served one term on the Madison City Council.
The primary showdown features a rematch from the district’s 2010 general election, where Holtzclaw defeated Butler, the incumbent Democrat, by nearly 10,000 votes. Following Holtzclaw’s exit from the Senate, Butler in 2018 was elected to an additional term.
Senate District 2 includes portions of Madison and Limestone Counties.
District 13
State Sen. Randy Price (R-Opelika), vice chair of the Senate Tourism Committee, was first elected to the upper chamber in 2018. Price overwhelmingly prevailed in the 2018 primary, runoff and general elections.
John Allen Coker, pastor of Opelika’s Northside Baptist Church, is challenging Price in the West Alabama Senate district.
Senate District 13 includes parts of Randolph, Lee, Cleburne, Clay and Chambers Counties.
District 15
State Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook), chair of the Shelby County Legislation Committee and vice chair of the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee, is seeking election to his second term in the upper chamber.
Homewood surgeon Brian Christine has mounted a primary challenge against Roberts for the Birmingham area Senate district.
Senate District 15 includes parts of Talladega, Shelby and Jefferson Counties.
District 17
State Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville), chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, is seeking to serve his third term in the Senate.
Shelnutt faces opposition from Iraq War veteran Mike Dunn, who formerly attempted to launch a candidacy in Alabama’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.
Senate District 17 includes portions of St. Clair, Jefferson and Blount Counties.
District 22
State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) serves as chair of the influential Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee. Albritton this year will complete his second term of service in the upper chamber. From 2002 to 2006, Albritton served in the Alabama House of Representatives.
Albritton’s opponent, U.S. Army veteran Stephen Sexton, unsuccessfully ran for the Alabama House of Representatives District 64 in 2018 against State Rep. Harry Shiver (R-Bay Minette).
Senate District 22 includes parts of Washington, Monroe, Clarke, Baldwin and Escambia Counties.
District 27
State Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in 2010 flipped District 27 as he defeated incumbent Democratic State Sen. T.D. Little. He is currently serving his third term in the Senate.
Whatley faces Auburn City Councilman Jay Hovey in the GOP primary. Hovey in 2020 received a lieutenant governor’s appointment to the Alabama Small Business Advisory Commission.
Senate District 27 includes portions of Tallapoosa, Russell and Lee Counties.
The primary elections will take place on May 24, 2022.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
