MONTOMGERY, Ala. (WBMA) – U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer has won the Republican nomination in the special primary election for Alabama’s 6th Congressional District, defeating challenger Case Dixon on Tuesday.

The Associated Press declared Palmer the winner Tuesday night. With 8% of results reporting, Palmer had 86% of the vote compared with 14% for Dixon.

Palmer, the incumbent, will advance to face the Democratic nominee in the special general election. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Democratic primary had not been decided. Maurice Mercer was leading the four-candidate field with 67% of the vote with 57% reporting, followed by Ashtyn Kennedy with 21%. Jacob Bouma-Sims and Keith Pilkington each had 6%.

After his victory, Palmer told ABC 33/40 that voters he spoke with throughout the campaign were focused on economic concerns.

“What I’ve been hearing all during the campaign is pretty much the same thing, they want change,” Palmer said. “They want life to be more affordable.”

Palmer said lowering prices and creating better-paying jobs would be among his priorities moving forward.

“But what they, I think what we’ve really got to focus on is bringing prices down, more jobs, better paying jobs,” Palmer said. “And I’m hearing that, not just in the Sixth District, but all over the state.”

Palmer also pointed to healthcare, border security and the country’s supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements as priorities.

“I’ve got a healthcare bill that will cover people with pre-existing conditions, and it does a number of other things,” Palmer said. “It’ll bring down premium costs on every age bracket.”

Palmer also said he wants Congress to pass the SAVE Act, legislation he co-sponsors that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

“Every American, regardless of their political views, need to believe that their vote matters, that it counts,” Palmer said. “And the SAVE Act is not just about voter ID, but it’s also about proof of citizenship. Only citizens should be allowed to vote.”

Palmer said he believes the legislation would help “restore public confidence in their elections.”

He also highlighted securing the nation’s critical mineral and rare earth supply chain, arguing that the country’s reliance on China poses an economic and national security risk.

“If China were to cut us off from refined rare earth elements, it would shut our economy down,” Palmer said. “It’s a national security issue.”

Palmer told voters Tuesday night that he believes Congress has made progress but still has more work ahead.

“Despite what all they hear in the media and social media, we’ve gotten a lot done,” Palmer said. “And there’s a lot more to do.”

Palmer closed by thanking voters in the district for continuing to support him.

“I just appreciate the honor that the people of the Sixth District have given me to represent them in Congress,” Palmer said.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Palmer in the special general election for the 6th Congressional District.

Alabama’s special primary election is today, Aug. 11.

Alabama voters in certain congressional districts are casting extra ballots after months of legal issues resulted in Gov. Kay Ivey calling the special primary election.

Alabama’s voting turnout is relatively low on average, with 2024’s numbers clocking in at 58.5%, the lowest turnout in 30 years. Experts say this could be caused by a lack of information around the voting process.

Here’s who is on the ballot today.

Who is on the ballot for Alabama special primary?

Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 will all have multiple Republican candidates on the ballot. Only District 6 has Democratic candidates on the ballot as well, as it was the only district with multiple candidates who qualified to run.

Here’s a full list of all the candidates you’ll see on Aug. 11 ballots. Voters can find sample ballots online at the Secretary of State’s website.

For decades, Alabama has remained one of the nation’s most active death penalty states. Today, it also stands at the center of a national conversation after becoming the first state in U.S. history to carry out an execution using nitrogen gas—a method that had never before been used anywhere in the world.

The decision has drawn international attention, praise from supporters who believe it provides justice for victims and their families, and criticism from opponents who question its legality, ethics, and humanity.

But beyond the headlines, many Alabamians know little about how the state’s death penalty system actually works—from the sentencing process and years of appeals to the final hours before an execution.

That is the focus of ABC 33/40’s four-part investigative series, where we take viewers inside every stage of Alabama’s capital punishment system.

Over the coming weeks, I will speak with prosecutors, defense attorneys, lawmakers, faith leaders, victims’ advocates, and people who have witnessed executions firsthand. Together, their perspectives will help explain not only how Alabama arrived at this historic moment but what it may mean for the future of capital punishment across America.

Rather than approaching the issue through politics alone, this series examines the people whose lives have been shaped by the death penalty—those seeking justice, those challenging the system, and those responsible for carrying out one of the government’s most consequential powers.

Part One: The Process

The opening installment explores how Alabama became the nation’s testing ground for nitrogen hypoxia executions.

We’ll trace the legal battles, policy decisions, and scientific questions that led to the state’s adoption of the new execution method while examining the broader evolution of capital punishment in Alabama. Viewers will gain a clearer understanding of how a death sentence moves through the courts, why executions can take decades to occur, and why Alabama has become one of the most closely watched states in the national death penalty debate.

The goal is not to persuade viewers toward one side of the issue. Instead, this project seeks to provide context, answer difficult questions, and offer a fact-based examination of a system that continues to shape lives, public policy, and the criminal justice system.

As Alabama continues to influence the national conversation surrounding capital punishment, this series will follow where that conversation leads.

Coming Next

In Part Two, we go inside Holman Correctional Facility through the eyes of a pastor who has spent years ministering to condemned inmates during their final hours. He shares what happens behind prison walls before an execution—offering prayer, comfort, and one last conversation with those preparing to die.

Join me, Ashonti Ford, as we explore how Alabama changed the landscape of the death penalty in America—and the questions that continue to define one of the nation’s most debated criminal justice issues.

This project is supported by the Pulitzer Center.