Wess and Larriett Advance to Democratic U.S. Senate Runoff as Alabama Democratic Turnout Surges

Montgomery, AL (BuzzReport) — The Democratic race for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat is officially headed to a high-stakes runoff after no candidate secured the majority needed to win the nomination outright in Tuesday’s statewide primary election.

Birmingham attorney Everett Wess emerged as the top vote-getter in the crowded Democratic field, capturing nearly 40% of the statewide vote. However, because Alabama law requires a candidate to receive more than 50% to avoid a runoff, Wess will now face entrepreneur Dakarai Larriett in a June 16 runoff election.

Larriett secured second place with roughly 30% of the vote, earning the other spot in what is expected to become an intense and competitive final stretch for the Democratic nomination. 

The remaining Democratic candidates failed to gain enough momentum to remain in contention, setting up a two-man battle that will now focus heavily on voter turnout, fundraising, grassroots organizing, and coalition-building across Alabama.

Political observers say the runoff could become a test of which candidate can energize Democratic voters in Alabama at a time when enthusiasm within the party appears to be growing statewide. Both campaigns are expected to aggressively target undecided voters and supporters of eliminated candidates in the coming weeks.

The Democratic runoff comes amid a noticeable increase in Democratic primary participation across Alabama. According to statewide turnout reporting, more than 364,000 Democratic ballots were cast in the 2026 primary election — a dramatic increase compared to approximately 188,000 Democratic ballots cast during Alabama’s 2022 statewide midterm primary election. 

That means Democratic turnout in Alabama nearly doubled compared to the last comparable statewide primary cycle, marking the party’s strongest statewide primary participation in nearly two decades. Analysts say the surge reflects heightened voter engagement surrounding statewide races, including the open U.S. Senate contest and gubernatorial race. 

While Republicans still outpaced Democrats in total ballots cast statewide, Democratic gains in turnout have sparked growing discussion about voter enthusiasm heading into November’s general election. 

Now, all eyes turn toward June 16, when Wess and Larriett will make their final pitch to Democratic voters in one of Alabama’s most closely watched Senate primaries in recent years.