1986 United States Senate election in Alabama

The 1986 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 4, 1986 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Jeremiah Denton lost re-election to Democrat Richard Shelby by 6,823 votes.

1986 United States Senate election in Alabama

← 1980 November 4, 1986 1992 →
 
Nominee Richard Shelby Jeremiah Denton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 609,360 602,537
Percentage 50.28% 49.72%

County results
Shelby:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Denton:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Jeremiah Denton
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Richard Shelby
Democratic

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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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.

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeremiah Denton (incumbent) 29,805 88.55%
Republican Richard Vickers 3,854 11.45%
Total votes 33,659 100.00%

Democratic primary

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Shelby, a moderate-to-conservative Democrat narrowly avoided a runoff and won nomination in the Democratic Party primary.[2]

Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary results by county
  Shelby
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Allen
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  McLaughlin
  •   40–50%
Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Shelby 420,155 51.33%
Democratic Jim Allen, Jr. 284,206 34.72%
Democratic Ted McLaughlin 70,784 8.65%
Democratic Margaret Stewart 26,723 3.27%
Democratic Steve Arnold 16,722 2.04%
Total votes 818,590 100.00%

General election

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Shelby won a very narrow victory of less than one percent over Denton.[3]

Candidates

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Results

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1986 United States Senate election in Alabama
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Shelby 609,360 50.28%
Republican Jeremiah Denton (incumbent) 602,537 49.72%
Total votes 1,211,897 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

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References

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