Rep. Barry Moore won the Republican primary runoff in the Alabama Senate race, NBC News projects, making him the heavy favorite in the general election to succeed Sen. Tommy Tuberville this fall. <\/p>\n
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Moore, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson for the GOP nomination. The two candidates were forced into a runoff<\/a> after no one secured more than 50% of the vote in a crowded May 19 primary field. <\/p>\n Alabama\u2019s Senate seat opened up after Tuberville launched his run for governor last year. He easily won the GOP nomination<\/a> in the race last month. <\/p>\n In a victory speech Tuesday, Moore pointed to his relationship with Trump. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I call [Trump], he takes my calls, and we can work together with the senators, that delegation and certainly the president of the United States to make sure that Alabama has an opportunity to bring the jobs back here that we need,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n Trump held a tele-rally with Moore last week and reiterated his endorsement Monday on Truth Social, calling Moore \u201can America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning.\u201d Moore\u2019s campaign featured Trump\u2019s endorsements in multiple advertisements.<\/p>\n Moore, a former state lawmaker who was first elected to Congress in 2020, has pushed against allowing transgender women and girls to play in women\u2019s sports and criticized \u201clawless Democrat sanctuary\u201d cities while positioning himself as a staunch pro-gun advocate. <\/p>\n Hudson, who is the CEO of groups that work with law enforcement to combat child trafficking and focus on firearms instruction, tried to run as a political outsider. He ran unsuccessfully for Jefferson County sheriff in 2022.<\/p>\n And while Moore won Trump\u2019s backing, Hudson campaigned as<\/a> a \u201cwarrior for President Trump\u2019s America First Agenda.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI will deploy to the Senate to defend President Trump with the same ethos they taught us in SEAL training: I am never out of the fight and I will not fail,\u201d Hudson said on his website. <\/p>\n The runoff campaign turned negative. An outside group aligned with Hudson accused Moore<\/a>, who served in the Alabama National Guard and Army Reserve, of \u201cstolen valor.\u201d In a 2024 letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed by dozens of GOP lawmakers, the Republicans accused Walz, then the Democratic vice presidential nominee, of misrepresenting his military service. Moore is listed as a signer, which marked him as having served as a \u201cstaff sergeant.\u201d <\/p>\n Records shared by Moore\u2019s campaign<\/a>, though, indicated Moore was discharged with a rank of cadet. <\/p>\n Moore\u2019s campaign released further information, saying his pay grade was \u201cE-6 Staff Sergeant,\u201d adding that \u201cBarry has never called himself a retired Staff Sergeant, or even a Staff Sergeant nor did he retire from service \u2014 he was honorably discharged.\u201d<\/p>\n Moore\u2019s campaign also defended the title discrepancy on the Walz letter in a release on his website. <\/p>\n \u201cThat was a coalition letter signed by a lot of people, and the Staff Sergeant and retired title line was supplied by its organizers,\u201d the website said. \u201cHe has never used that title and never affirmed it.\u201d<\/p>\n Moore also faced questions about a 2020 ad in which he said he has \u201cbeen in those combat boots,\u201d though he did not serve overseas or in combat.<\/p>\n \u201cMembers of the National Guard wear combat boots to train. Here<\/a> is a link to the shoe,\u201d Moore\u2019s website said, responding to questions about the ad. <\/p>\n![\"Barry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/260614-barry-moore-vl-401p-2853e6.jpg\")
Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., at a Millbrook Chamber of Commerce event on June 2, 2021.Jake Crandall \/ The Montgomery Advertiser via Imagn Images file<\/p>\n