BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WSFA) – Republican voters chose Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and Democrats picked former Sen. Doug Jones in Tuesday’s primary election, setting up a political rematch in the race at the top of the ballot.

Tuberville and Jones first faced off in the 2020 U.S. Senate race. Both spent primary night in Birmingham holding separate election parties, and while their messages to voters differed, each said the push to November begins immediately.

“We’re going to go out for the next 4-5 months and we’re going to ask people what is your biggest need,” Tuberville said. “What do you want to do to make your life better? What are you missing?”

Jones told supporters his campaign is building toward the general election.

“You’re going to hear me say it a lot between now and November. We’re building that house,” Jones said. “This is the crew right here, that tonight is laying the foundation to build that house that Alabama deserves.”

A day after the primary, both nominees were on the move. Tuberville traveled back to Washington, D.C., and Jones met with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was in Birmingham in support of the Jones campaign.

“We need your commitment to engage not just today, or tomorrow, or through November when we win this ticket,” Jones said.

“When we win in November, we’re going to need you to engage every day of every week of every month.”

Tuberville also emphasized not taking the general election for granted.

“It is going to be hard for the next 4-5 months, we are going to take nothing for granted,” Tuberville said. “You never have anything won. You go out and do it the hard way. You shake hands and tell people what you’re going to do, but you also ask them questions while you’re doing it. ‘What do you need?’”

Both candidates echoed a similar theme moving forward: preventing Alabama’s young people from leaving the state after they graduate.

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Voters across Central Alabama headed to the polls Tuesday for a busy primary election day filled with sheriff’s races, school superintendent contests, commission battles and tax votes that could shape local communities for years to come.

Here is a county-by-county breakdown of some of the biggest local races and results from election night.

Bibb County

Bibb County voters reelected Schools Superintendent Kevin Cotner, who defeated Lane Watts Lightsey with just over 60% of the vote.

In County Commission District 2, no candidate reached the required majority threshold, sending the race to a runoff between Gary Uber and Jarred Keith Kornegay. Incumbent Charles Caddell finished fourth and was eliminated.

Ty Corbell held onto his County Commission District 4 seat, defeating Corkey McFarland with nearly 68% of the vote.

Blount County

Blount County voters reelected County Commissioners Allen Armstrong and Chase Moore in Districts 1 and 3 respectively.

The county also elected a new Board of Education member for District 3 after incumbent Philip Cleveland chose not to seek reelection. Matthew Fallin narrowly defeated Curtis Hawkins in one of the tighter races in the county.

Calhoun County

Calhoun County Sheriff Falon Hurst easily secured reelection, winning nearly 79% of the vote in a three-way race.

One of the closest races of the night came in County Commission District 4, where Tobi Burt defeated incumbent Terry Howell by just 24 votes.

Incumbent Revenue Commissioner Tim Hodges also won reelection with nearly 70% support.

Chilton County

Chilton County Schools Superintendent Corey Clements cruised to reelection with more than 83% of the vote.

The race for Revenue Commissioner will head to a runoff after no candidate cleared 50%. Michele Porter Headley finished first, followed closely by Brad Carter. Incumbent Tim Miller did not seek reelection.

Coosa County

Coosa County voters elected Matthew Reams to the County Commission District 4 seat following the death of longtime commissioner Ronnie Joiner earlier this year.

In District 5, Dillon Adams defeated incumbent Lamar Daugherty.

Incumbent Sharon Coffman narrowly held onto her Board of Education District 4 seat, defeating Kimberly Crowe by fewer than 30 votes.

Cullman County

Cullman County will have a new sheriff after Chad Whaley defeated Tim Creel in the race to replace outgoing Sheriff Matt Gentry, who ran for Public Service Commission.

Voters also selected Mike Pitts as the county’s next Revenue Commissioner after incumbent Barry Willingham chose not to seek reelection.

In County Commission races, Kenneth Walker and Richard Barnett both won their respective districts.

Etowah County

Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton easily won reelection with more than 86% of the vote.

One of the county’s biggest shakeups came in the Board of Education District 2 race, where Ben Greene defeated incumbent Scarlett Farley.

County Coroner London Pearce and Commissioner Tim Ramsey also secured reelection victories.

Fayette County

Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby won reelection with more than two-thirds of the vote.

The race for Schools Superintendent is headed to a runoff after no candidate received a majority. Steve Sawyer narrowly led Jeremy Madden in the race to replace retiring Superintendent Jim Burkhalter.

The Revenue Commissioner race will also head to a runoff. Incumbent Jeananne Edwards finished first but failed to clear 50%.

Greene County

Greene County Sheriff Joe Benison secured reelection with nearly 63% support.

Several county races will head to runoffs after crowded Democratic primaries prevented candidates from reaching majority support, including County Commission Districts 1 and 3.

Greene County also saw multiple incumbent losses in Board of Education races. Willie Davis defeated incumbent Leo Branch in District 4, while Joe Webb unseated incumbent Carrie Dancy in District 5.

Tonjula Carey won the District Court Judge race to replace retiring Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne.

Hale County

In Hale County, Charles Patrick defeated incumbent Patti Rhodes in the County Commission District 4 race.

Jefferson County

Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway easily won reelection, defeating former detective Chris Anderson and Jude Washington with nearly 75% of the vote.

Camara Blue won the Jefferson County Commission District 3 race to replace retiring Commissioner Jimmie Stephens.

Tiffany Jones was elected District Court Judge for Place 7 following the retirement of Judge Ruby Clark.

Commission President Lashunda Scales also secured reelection in District 1.

Marion County

Marion County’s Commission District 1 race is headed to a runoff after no candidate reached the required majority threshold. Incumbent Keith Nichols finished first, followed by Jason Taylor.

Pickens County

Pickens County voters overwhelmingly approved a county ambulance service measure with more than 70% support.

In County Commission District 3, Rodney Homan narrowly defeated incumbent Drew Elmore by just 25 votes.

John Morgan Owens also won the county’s District Court Judge race.

Shelby County

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego easily secured reelection with more than 70% of the vote.

One of the closest races in Central Alabama came in the Schools Superintendent contest, where Andrew Gunn narrowly defeated Joel Dixon by fewer than 400 votes to replace retiring Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks.

The county’s District Court Judge Place 3 race will head to a runoff after no candidate reached 50% in the crowded four-way Republican primary.

Peg Hill and Jacob Tidmore both won reelection in countywide races.

St. Clair County

Ragland voters overwhelmingly approved a special school tax aimed at supporting Ragland schools.

The race for St. Clair County Commission chairman was one of the closest in the region, with David Evans defeating incumbent Stan Batemon by just 72 votes.

County Commission District 1 will head to a runoff after no candidate received a majority of the vote.

Greg Cobb also defeated incumbent Allison Gray in the Board of Education race for the Odenville seat.

Talladega County

Talladega County incumbents largely held onto their seats Tuesday night.

County Commissioner Tony Haynes and District Court Judges J. Scott Brewer and Dale Price all won reelection in their respective races.

Walker County

Walker County voters overwhelmingly rejected two separate school tax proposals, with both measures failing by roughly 71% to 29%.

The county’s sheriff race will head to a runoff after no candidate reached a majority. Jason Akins and J.C. Poe Jr. advanced, while incumbent Sheriff Nick Smith was eliminated from the race.

Dennis Willingham won reelection as Schools Superintendent with nearly 69% of the vote.

Walker County also elected Trent McCluskey as the county’s next coroner after incumbent Joey Vick chose not to seek reelection.

Winston County

Winston County Sheriff Caleb Snoddy cruised to reelection with more than 76% support.

The County Commission District 2 race was one of the tighter contests in the county, with Heath Tidwell defeating Taylor Stults by just over 100 votes.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville won the Republican primary for governor of Alabama Tuesday, NBC News projects, making him the clear favorite to win the general election this fall in the ruby-red state.

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The winner this fall will replace outgoing Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election.

Alabama has not elected a Democrat for governor since 1998, and President Donald Trump, who endorsed Tuberville, carried the state by 30 points in 2024. Tuberville, a former college football coach, is poised to leave the Senate after finishing a term that he was first elected to in 2020.

The Trump endorsement came after Tuberville built a voting record closely aligned with the president’s preferences.

“I was proud to endorse ‘Coach’ when he ran for the Senate in 2020, and am honored to do so again. Tommy Tuberville has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of the Great State of Alabama,” Trump said Monday on social media.

Tuberville had Trump’s support in 2020 in a Republican Senate primary that included former Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s first attorney general. Sessions infuriated the president by appointing a special counsel to investigate alleged links between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, and Trump fired him from the Cabinet in 2018 and repeatedly spoke out against him in the years that followed.

Now, Tuberville’s quest to jump from Washington to Montgomery set off a scramble among Republicans to replace him in the safe red seat.

Trump has endorsed Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., who has served in the House since 2021, in that race.

Meanwhile, Tuberville is on a collision course with the Democrat he defeated in that 2020 Senate race. Former Sen. Doug Jones, who won a 2017 special election in a stunning upset result before losing his seat in 2020, won the Democratic primary for governor, NBC News projects.