United States · Election results history · 1978 Senate · Alabama

Election 1978 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1978 US Senate election in Alabama

Howell Heflin (Democrat) beat Jerome B. Couch (independent) in Alabama in 1978, 94.0% to 6.0%, a margin of 88.0 points and 512,103 votes.

Donald Stewart (Democrat) beat James D. Martin (Republican) in Alabama in 1978, 55.1% to 43.3%, a margin of 11.7 points and 85,682 votes. (This was a special election.)

The Democratic hold continued from 1972, when John Sparkman won.

Democrats led in 67 of the 67 counties as they stood then. The largest, Jefferson, cast 115,753 votes and went to the Democrat by 94.0 points. The closest was Cleburne, where 1,340 votes separated the two parties.

United States

Results

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 1899 1898 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 1884 1883 1882 1881 1880 1879 1878 1877 1876 1875 1874 1873 1872 1871 1870 1869 1868 1867 1866 1865

If only voted How this works

If the polls miss like

Or set the national mood Turnout

Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Senate

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Howell Heflin won	Democratic	547,054	94.0%
Jerome B. Couch	Prohibition	34,951	6.0%
Total		582,005

Special election

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Donald Stewart won	Democratic	401,852	55.1%
James D. Martin	Republican	316,170	43.3%
All other candidates		11,820	1.6%
Total		729,842

Every county

County	Democrat	Others	Total	Margin
Jefferson	108,817 94.0%	6,936	115,753	D+94.0
Mobile	49,098 92.9%	3,743	52,841	D+92.9
Montgomery	27,651 92.2%	2,347	29,998	D+92.2
Madison	23,099 91.2%	2,228	25,327	D+91.2
Etowah	16,181 95.2%	822	17,003	D+95.2
Tuscaloosa	14,318 91.0%	1,416	15,734	D+91.0
Calhoun	14,400 94.1%	900	15,300	D+94.1
Baldwin	12,570 93.2%	916	13,486	D+93.2
Morgan	10,191 93.0%	764	10,955	D+93.0
Lauderdale	10,430 96.0%	438	10,868	D+96.0
Walker	9,945 96.6%	345	10,290	D+96.6
Cullman	9,469 93.9%	619	10,088	D+93.9
Lee	8,585 93.8%	566	9,151	D+93.8
Houston	8,269 91.3%	785	9,054	D+91.3
Colbert	8,695 97.1%	256	8,951	D+97.1
De Kalb	8,143 98.1%	159	8,302	D+98.1
Shelby	7,574 92.1%	646	8,220	D+92.1
Chambers	7,985 97.2%	232	8,217	D+97.2
Talladega	7,147 92.2%	604	7,751	D+92.2
Dallas	6,772 94.9%	362	7,134	D+94.9
Marshall	6,177 89.3%	744	6,921	D+89.3
Elmore	6,273 91.4%	593	6,866	D+91.4
Coffee	6,474 94.6%	368	6,842	D+94.6
Tallapoosa	6,046 92.2%	510	6,556	D+92.2
Monroe	5,687 96.4%	215	5,902	D+96.4
Wilcox	5,704 98.8%	69	5,773	D+98.8
Dale	4,921 92.2%	414	5,335	D+92.2
Blount	5,038 94.6%	286	5,324	D+94.6
Covington	4,829 90.9%	484	5,313	D+90.9
St. Clair	4,878 91.9%	428	5,306	D+91.9
Chilton	4,925 94.3%	295	5,220	D+94.3
Limestone	4,771 93.2%	350	5,121	D+93.2
Escambia	4,816 95.4%	233	5,049	D+95.4
Autauga	4,637 92.8%	362	4,999	D+92.8
Pike	4,392 90.4%	468	4,860	D+90.4
Jackson	4,622 95.6%	214	4,836	D+95.6
Marion	4,546 96.7%	157	4,703	D+96.7
Russell	4,346 93.8%	288	4,634	D+93.8
Perry	4,504 98.9%	52	4,556	D+98.9
Geneva	4,413 97.0%	138	4,551	D+97.0
Macon	4,220 97.6%	105	4,325	D+97.6
Clarke	4,053 95.5%	193	4,246	D+95.5
Franklin	4,107 96.8%	134	4,241	D+96.8
Marengo	3,837 94.3%	233	4,070	D+94.3
Randolph	3,814 96.4%	141	3,955	D+96.4
Butler	3,670 93.3%	265	3,935	D+93.3
Barbour	3,404 93.6%	234	3,638	D+93.6
Lawrence	3,261 95.5%	153	3,414	D+95.5
Bullock	3,286 96.7%	112	3,398	D+96.7
Pickens	3,311 97.6%	80	3,391	D+97.6
Winston	2,998 96.6%	107	3,105	D+96.6
Washington	2,931 97.9%	62	2,993	D+97.9
Fayette	2,687 96.9%	86	2,773	D+96.9
Lowndes	2,594 96.6%	90	2,684	D+96.6
Bibb	2,520 94.3%	151	2,671	D+94.3
Choctaw	2,502 98.3%	42	2,544	D+98.3
Crenshaw	2,328 92.5%	190	2,518	D+92.5
Sumter	2,446 98.8%	30	2,476	D+98.8
Hale	2,295 93.4%	163	2,458	D+93.4
Greene	2,267 98.2%	42	2,309	D+98.2
Lamar	2,201 98.0%	45	2,246	D+98.0
Cherokee	2,091 94.2%	129	2,220	D+94.2
Clay	1,953 96.3%	74	2,027	D+96.3
Conecuh	1,882 94.1%	118	2,000	D+94.1
Henry	1,871 95.5%	89	1,960	D+95.5
Coosa	1,793 95.9%	77	1,870	D+95.9
Cleburne	1,394 96.3%	54	1,448	D+96.3

Counties as they stood in 1978; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

Alabama Senate elections we hold

Year	Winner	Margin
2022	Katie Britt (R)	R+35.6
2020	Tommy Tuberville (R)	R+20.4
2016	Richard C. Shelby (R)	R+28.1
2014	Jeff Sessions (R)	R+97.3
2010	Richard C. Shelby (R)	R+30.5
2008	Jeff Sessions (R)	R+26.8
2004	Richard C. Shelby (R)	R+35.2
2002	Jeff Sessions (R)	R+18.7
1998	Richard C. Shelby (R)	R+26.6
1996	Jeff Sessions (R)	R+7.0
1992	Richard C. Shelby (D)	D+31.7
1990	Howell Heflin (D)	D+21.1
1986	Richard Shelby (D)	D+0.6
1984	Howell Heflin (D)	D+26.4
1980	Jeremiah Denton (R)	R+3.1
1978	Howell Heflin (D)	D+94.0
1974	James B. Allen (D)	D+95.8
1972	John Sparkman (D)	D+29.2
1968	James B. Allen (D)	D+47.8
1966	John Sparkman (D)	D+21.1
1962	Lister Hill (D)	D+1.7
1960	John Sparkman (D)	D+40.5
1956	Lister Hill (D)	D+100.0
1954	John Sparkman (D)	D+64.9
1950	Lister Hill (D)	D+76.5
1948	John Sparkman (D)	D+68.0
1944	Lister Hill (D)	D+64.8
1942	John H. Bankhead II (D)	D+100.0
1938	J. Lister Hill (D)	D+72.8
1936	John H. Bankhead II (D)	D+74.8
1932	Hugo L. Black (D)	D+72.5
1930	John H. Bankhead II (D)	D+59.9
1926	Hugo L. Black (D)	D+61.7
1924	J. Thomas Heflin (D)	D+50.4
1920	Oscar W. Underwood (D)	D+33.0
1918	John H. Bankhead (D)	D+100.0
1914	Oscar W. Underwood (D)	D+62.9