Trump-backed Rep. Barry Moore heads to a runoff in Alabama GOP Senate primary

Rep. Barry Moore on Tuesday advanced to a Republican Senate primary runoff in Alabama, as two rivals battle for the second spot in the race, NBC News projects.

Boosted by President Donald Trump, Moore leads a crowded primary field, but he will not hit the majority mark needed to win the nomination outright. Meanwhile, state Attorney General Steve Marshall and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson are in the running for a spot alongside Moore in a head-to-head June 16 runoff.

The winner of the runoff will be heavily favored in the general election in Alabama. The Republicans are running to succeed Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a first-term Republican who is leaving the Senate to run for governor.

Trump re-iterated his support for Moore in a Truth Social post on Monday, calling him “an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning.” “Barry Moore is a good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from Alabama,” Trump wrote. “GET OUT AND VOTE FOR BARRY — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!

Moore, a former state lawmaker, was first elected to Congress in 2020, running “to fight the lockdowns and stand with President Trump,” he said on his campaign website.

The congressman has called for the arrests and prosecutions of elected officials in “lawless Democrat sanctuary” cities if they “obstruct federal immigration enforcement.” He railed against allowing transgender women and girls to play in women’s sports, and he said he wanted to “strip federal funding from anyone imposing this radical ideology on women and children.”

A staunch pro-gun advocate, Moore in 2023 introduced a bill to try to make the AR-15 the “National Gun of the United States.”

Meanwhile, Marshall has been the state’s attorney general since 2017 after previously serving as a district attorney. Marshall also lavished praise on Trump and his policies throughout the campaign.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.Alex Wong / Getty Images file

A staunch anti-abortion advocate, Marshall highlighted his work as a district attorney to push forward the Brody Act, which criminalized acts that “kill or injure” a fetus.

He has criticized transgender women and girls playing in women’s sports, and said on his website’s issue page that he would push to bring down gas and grocery prices.

Hudson has campaigned as a political outsider and focused on his faith, often referring to himself as a Christian conservative. Prior to his Senate bid, Hudson ran unsuccessfully for Jefferson County sheriff in 2022.

Republican candidate for Senate, Jared Hudson on May 7, in Enterprise, Ala. Mike Stewart / AP

He is also the CEO of two organizations: one that works with law enforcement to combat child trafficking and another that focuses on firearms instruction. While he doesn’t have Trump’s endorsement, Hudson has still sought to tie himself to the president. In a video launching his campaign last year, Hudson said, “It’s time to send a warrior, not another politician, to stand with President Trump and put America First.”