Former Alabama Rep. Jerry Carl seeks to reclaim old seat in U.S. House

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Aug 19, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Former Alabama Rep. Jerry Carl is making a comeback bid to reclaim the 1st District seat he held before losing a member-vs.-member primary last year.

“Rooted in faith, family, and a deep commitment to service, this decision reflects the shared desire of our district to advance President Trump’s shared America First Agenda, while bringing integrity and accountability to Washington,” Carl said Monday in a social media post. “As your Congressman, I will continue the fight to keep our borders secure, slash wasteful spending, and stand against any attempts to infringe upon our constitutional rights.”

Carl, who represented a previous version of Alabama’s 1st District for two terms, lost a primary last year after he was drawn into the same district as fellow GOP Rep. Barry Moore.

That came after a federal court approved a new map ahead of the 2024 elections meant to give Black voters a second district where they could influence the election of a candidate.

The Supreme Court had found that the map used in 2022 likely violated the Voting Rights Act and denied opportunities to Black voters to elect candidates of their choice.

In that primary, Carl, who had served on the Appropriations Committee, had support from Majority Leader Steve Scalise and fellow Alabama Rep. Mike D. Rogers, while Moore was backed by members of the House Freedom Caucus, of which he is a member. Moore ultimately won by more than 15 percentage points.

Carl’s official entrance into the race comes days after Moore announced he would run for the open Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.

Political newcomer Joshua McKee, an Army Special Forces veteran, has also entered the 1st District race. Republican State Rep. Rhett Marques has also said he could consider a bid for the seat if Moore ran for Senate.