Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore wins GOP primary runoff in Alabama Senate race

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.

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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 after no one secured more than 50% of the vote in a crowded May 19 primary field.

Alabama’s Senate seat opened up after Tuberville launched his run for governor last year. He easily won the GOP nomination in the race last month.

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’s sports and criticized “lawless Democrat sanctuary” cities, while positioning himself as a staunch pro-gun advocate.

Trump held a tele-rally with Moore last week and reiterated his endorsement in a Truth Social post Monday, calling the congressman “an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning.” Moore’s campaign, in turn, featured Trump’s endorsements in multiple advertisements.

Hudson, who serves as the CEO of groups that work with law enforcement to combat child trafficking and focus on firearms instruction, attempted to run as a political outsider. He ran unsuccessfully for Jefferson County sheriff in 2022.

And while Moore won Trump’s backing, Hudson campaigned as a “warrior for President Trump’s America First Agenda.”

“I 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,” Hudson said on his website.

The runoff campaign between Moore and Hudson turned negative. An outside group aligned with Hudson accused Moore , who served in the Alabama National Guard and Army Reserve, of “stolen valor.” In a 2024 letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed by dozens of GOP lawmakers, the Republicans accused the-then Democratic vice presidential nominee of misrepresenting his military service. Moore is listed as a signatory, which marked him as having served as a “staff sergeant.”

Records shared by Moore’s campaign , though, indicated Moore was discharged with a rank of cadet.

Moore’s campaign released further information, saying that his pay grade was “E-6 Staff Sergeant,” adding that “Barry has never called himself a retired Staff Sergeant, or even a Staff Sergeant nor did he retire from service — he was honorably discharged.”

Moore’s campaign also defended the title discrepancy on the Walz letter in a release on his website.

“That was a coalition letter signed by a lot of people, and the Staff Sergeant and retired title line was supplied by its organizers,” the website said. “He has never used that title and never affirmed it.”

Moore also faced questions about a 2020 ad, in which he said he has “been in those combat boots,” though he did not serve overseas or in combat.

“Members of the National Guard wear combat boots to train. Here is a link to the shoe,” Moore’s website said, responding to questions about the ad.

Moore also said in a video posted to social media that he was “never in combat, and I never claimed to be.”