West Alabama voters will decide the fate of three congressional seats in the 2026 midterm election. Districts 4, 6 and 7 together cover the region’s counties, and each race reflects a different level of competition.
District 4 – Bibb County
Republican incumbent Gary Palmer (I) faces Democrat Maurice Mercer. Palmer, a 72‑year‑old native of Hackleburg, earned a bachelor’s in operations management from the University of Alabama and spent 12 years in the private sector before leading the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years. Since his first election in 2014, he has championed cutting federal spending, reducing regulatory burdens, lowering energy costs and promoting job growth. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and chairs the Republican Policy Committee.
Mercer, a former Pelham City Council president and the city’s first African‑American elected official, emphasizes bipartisan problem‑solving. His platform focuses on affordability for families, health‑care cost reduction, education and workforce development, and continued federal infrastructure investment.
District 6 – Fayette, Lamar, western Tuscaloosa and Walker counties
Republican Robert Aderholt (I), now in his 15th term, runs against Democrat Amanda Pusczek. Aderholt, a native of Haleyville, holds a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, chairing the Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. He stresses family values, fiscal responsibility, pro‑growth policies and strong immigration standards.
Pusczek, a registered nurse who served on the front lines of the COVID‑19 pandemic, earned an associate degree from Calhoun Community College and a bachelor’s from Western Governors University. Her campaign highlights health‑care access, economic fairness for working families, farmers and renters, and opposition to corporate excess.
District 7 – Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Perry, Sumter and eastern Tuscaloosa counties
Democrat Terri Sewell (I), an eight‑term incumbent, seeks re‑election against Republican Ammie Akin. Sewell, the first Black valedictorian of Selma High School, holds degrees from Princeton, Oxford and Harvard Law. She serves on the Ways and Means Committee and the House Administration Committee, focusing on voting‑rights legislation, rural health‑care programs, and workforce development. She has raised $2.3 million this cycle, with 20 % from individual donors.
Akin, an educator and nonprofit leader from Birmingham, earned an Ed.D. from Samford University and has spent nearly 25 years in Alabama’s education system. She co‑founded Hub in the Hills, a nonprofit campus supporting families and adults with disabilities, and chairs the board of Unless U. Her platform calls for responsible federal spending to curb rising costs of housing, groceries, utilities, transportation and child care, and for supporting small businesses and strong local economies.
Redistricting and the 2nd District
The 2024 court‑ordered redistricting created a second majority‑minority district, sending Democrat Shomari Figures to Washington. After the U.S. Supreme Court barred the use of race in redistricting, Alabama restored its 2023 map, returning the 7th District to its prior configuration. The Supreme Court’s June decision upheld the state’s plan to redraw Districts 2 and 7. As a result, the 2nd District race has become competitive, with polling showing Figures only two points behind Republican challenger Rhett Marques.
West Alabama’s voters will therefore be watching three distinct contests: two safe GOP seats, a competitive Democratic‑Republican battle in the 7th, and a potentially pivotal race in the 2nd District that could influence the balance of power in Congress.
Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.
