Carl leads Wiregrass native Moore in close race for Alabama’s 1st Congressional District

WIREGRASS, Ala (WDHN) — With the Republican Primary right around the corner, the control of Alabama’s First Congressional District hangs in the balance in what is looking like a close race between two sitting U.S. House Representatives, an AUM poll revealed.

The poll, conducted by Auburn University at Montgomery’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, indicates Jerry Carl has an advantage over Enterprise Native Barry Moore by eight points among Republican voters, with a 43 percent to 35 percent lead. It shows 22 percent is undecided.

According to the poll, Alabama Republicans seem to be mainly focused on two factors for the Super Tuesday vote: the incumbents’ opinions on financial support to Ukraine and former President Donald Trump.

“Financial support to Ukraine, for example, is a dividing line in this race,” said David Hughes, associate professor of political science at AUM and director of the AUM Poll.

Hughes said those who responded to the poll view Carl as the more moderate and mainstream candidate.

Other factors that seem to sway voters are religious views and community types. The poll shows non-Evangelical Christians, and voters found in suburban areas favor Carl. Voters in rural areas seem to prefer Moore.

The battle for Alabama’s first district comes after federal judges approved a redrawing of the state’s congressional map in October 2023.

Before the congressional drawing, District 2, represented by Moore, encompassed all Wiregrass counties and Conecuh, Butler, Bullock, Montgomery, Elmore, and Autauga counties.

In the new map, Houston, Dale, Henry, Coffee, Geneva, and Covington counties were put in District 1, represented by Carl. These Wiregrass counties joined Escambia, Baldwin, and Mobile counties in District 1.

Rather than seeking reelection in District 2, Moore challenged Carl on the Gulf Coast.

The AUM poll was conducted on Tuesday, February 27, and reached out to 91,642 Alabama residents. 1,909 responded to the survey.

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