Alabama candidate qualifying ends; Dems have largest slate since 2018
On the Democratic side, five candidates qualified for the state’s highest office. Joining former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones will be pastor Will Boyd, hemp businessman Chad “Chig” Martin, former state Rep. Nathan Mathis, and former gubernatorial candidate Yolanda Flowers.
In 2022, 87 Democrats ran for office, according to paperwork submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. For the 2026 midterms, there were 94 as of early Friday evening.
“I think a healthy democracy does include more candidates rather than less,” said Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chair Tabitha Isner, a candidate for Senate District 26 in the Montgomery area. “I see more candidates on the ballot as evidence of a healthier democracy, or at least a desire to have a healthier democracy.”
https://alabamareflector.com/2026/01/23/alabama-candidate-qualifying-ends-dems-have-largest-slate-since-2018/