| Elections in Alabama |
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 Government |
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.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Jeremiah Denton, incumbent Senator since 1981
- Richard Vickers
Results
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.
| 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
Shelby, a moderate-to-conservative Democrat narrowly avoided a runoff and won nomination in the Democratic Party primary.[2]
Candidates
- Jim Allen, Jr., son of former U.S. Senator Jim Allen
- Steve Arnold
- Ted McLaughlin
- Richard Shelby, U.S. Representative from Tuscaloosa since 1979
- Margaret Stewart, writer
Results
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 40–50%
| 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
Shelby won a very narrow victory of less than one percent over Denton.[3]
Candidates
- Jeremiah Denton (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Richard Shelby (D), U.S. Representative
Results
| 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 | ||||