Stadthagen Sounds Alarm on GOP Turnout: ‘Democrats Are More Fired Up’

MOBILE, Ala. — Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen warned Monday that Republicans who believe the Nov. 3 general election is already won are mistaken, pointing to weak GOP turnout in the May 19 primary and a surge in Democratic primary ballots in some of the state’s largest counties.

“I’ve heard from several Republicans, ‘We have nothing to worry about,'” Stadthagen said in a radio interview.

“Let me tell you, we have something to worry about with the complacency of May 19, because the Democrats are more fired up than they ever have been. We’ve had the Supermajority for 16 years. Let’s make sure we continue that.”

The primary numbers behind the warning

Stadthagen’s reference to May 19 points to this year’s primary election. Roughly 493,000 Alabamians voted in the Republican primary that day, down about 25% from the 2022 Republican primary. Over the same stretch, the number of Democratic primary ballots nearly tripled in Madison, Mobile and Tuscaloosa counties.

Primary turnout does not always predict general election results, and Alabama has voted Republican in most statewide races for years. But party leaders often treat it as a measure of voter enthusiasm, and the gap between the two parties’ primaries has become a recurring talking point in the final weeks of the campaign.

Two targets: the 2nd District and Madison County

Stadthagen named two places where he said Republican turnout will matter most.

The first is the redrawn 2nd Congressional District, where state Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise, is challenging U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile.

“We’re fixing to flip Congressional District 2 from blue to red, but we can’t do it without the voters of that district,” Stadthagen said. “I think the Republicans of that district need to realize how important this is in the direction of our country and our state.”

The second is Madison County, home to Huntsville, one of the state’s fastest-growing areas.

“And then also, we have our situation in Madison County, where we need every Republican up front, center, voting, supporting and getting the message out, because we’ve got a lot of new residents that moved in up there,” he said. “They’re coming in from California, and they’re coming in from Colorado. We love Alabama for the policy and the stances that we take in the Legislature, and we need to make sure we continue that moving forward.”

Madison County includes House District 25, where Democrat Allison Montgomery is challenging Republican Rep. Phillip Rigsby. Stadthagen drew criticism last week for remarks about Montgomery and another transgender Democratic candidate at a Fairhope GOP gathering. Read that coverage here.

A message echoed by other Republican leaders

Stadthagen is not the only Republican sounding the alarm. At a packed Mobile County Republican Party meeting earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt told local Republicans not to take voters for granted. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said at the same meeting that more Democrats voted in Mobile County’s May 19 primary than at any point since the 1990s.

“We have to get our people to vote or we’ll turn blue,” Burch said.

Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions said the stronger Democratic turnout and softer Republican participation were “troubling for me.” Read our coverage of that meeting.

Corey Hill, the Republican nominee for agriculture commissioner, delivered a similar message to a Mobile Republican women’s club last week, urging GOP voters to turn out even if they are unhappy with a race at the top of the ticket. Read more.

The Democratic side

Figures, who won the 2nd District seat in 2024, has centered his re-election campaign on affordability, including fuel prices and the effect of tariffs on farmers and manufacturers. Ahead of President Donald Trump’s Oct. 2 rally in Mobile, Figures said, “We know people here are tired of Trump.”

Figures has also challenged Marques to debate and says he has accepted three debate invitations. Marques has said he will not debate, arguing that the candidates’ records already show voters the difference between them. Read more on the debate dispute.

National forecasters have rated the 2nd District race “Likely Republican” since late June, shifting it from “Solid Republican.” A summer internal poll released by a national Democratic organization showed Marques and Figures tied at 46%, though internal polls released by partisan groups should be read with caution. Read more on the race ratings.

Who is Scott Stadthagen?

Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2018 and continues to serve in the Legislature. He was elected chairman of the Alabama Republican Party in March. As party chairman, he leads the organization that runs the Republican primary process, recruits and supports candidates and coordinates get-out-the-vote efforts for the general election.

What the ‘supermajority’ means

Republicans won control of both chambers of the Alabama Legislature in the 2010 election, ending more than a century of Democratic control, and have held large majorities in the House and Senate ever since. Those majorities allow Republicans to pass legislation, set budgets and advance proposed constitutional amendments without needing Democratic votes. Stadthagen’s reference to holding the supermajority for 16 years counts from that 2010 election.

All 105 seats in the Alabama House and all 35 seats in the Alabama Senate are on the ballot this year, along with races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and other statewide offices.

What voters should know

• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
• Check your registration: Confirm your registration status and polling place through the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office at AlabamaVotes.gov or with your county board of registrars.
• Photo ID: Alabama requires voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls. Free voter ID cards are available for those who need one.
• Absentee ballots: Voters who qualify to vote absentee should apply through their county absentee election manager well before Election Day.
• Straight-party option: Alabama ballots allow a single straight-party mark, and voters can still mark individual races.