United States Senate election in Alabama, 1986

The Alabama United States Senate election of 1986 was a part of the midterm elections, which were generally won by the Democratic Party, which won control of the United States Senate. In Alabama, a Democratic candidate defeated his Republican incumbent opponent, who gained the seat as on Ronald Reagan's coattails.

Republican nomination

Incumbent Senator Jeremiah Denton, a retired Rear Admiral and decorated Vietnam War veteran who six years earlier became the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since Reconstruction, won the primary with little opposition [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=113014 Our Campaigns - AL Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 06, 1986 ] ] .

* Jeremiah Denton - 29,805 (88.55%)
* Richard Vickers - 3,854 (11.45%)

Democratic nomination

Candidates:
* Jim Allen
* Steve Arnold
* Ted McLaughlin
* U.S. Representative (AL-7) Richard Shelby
* Genealogist and writer Magaret E. Stewart

Shelby, a moderate-to-conservative Democrat avoided runoff and won nomination in the Democratic Party primary [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=113013 Our Campaigns - AL Senate - D Primary Race - Jun 06, 1986 ] ] .

* Shelby - 420,155 (51.33%)
* Allen - 284,206 (34.72%)
* McLaughin - 70,784 (8.65%)
* Stewart - 26,723 (3.27%)
* Arnold - 16,722 (2.04%)

General election result

Shelby won a very narrow victory over Denton (less than one precent) [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3391 Our Campaigns - AL US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1986 ] ] .

* Shelby - 609,360 (50.28%)
* Denton - 602,537 (49.72%)

Shelby was re-elected as Democrat in 1992. In 1994, he changed parties becoming a Republican, and as Republican was reelected in 1998 and 2004.

References