The 2018 Alabama lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, concurrently with elections to the United States House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on June 5, 2018, with runoff elections held on July 17, 2018, in races which nobody cleared at least 50% of the vote.[1]

Incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Kay Ivey resigned on April 10, 2017, to become to the Governor of Alabama following the resignation of Robert Bentley.[2] Following Ivey's resignation, the office of Lieutenant Governor remained vacant until the 2018 election cycle.[3]

Republican state representative Will Ainsworth won a competitive primary and runoff against Alabama Public Service Commissioner Twinkle Cavanaugh, and pastor Will Boyd became the Democratic nominee without any opposition.[4][5] Ainsworth comfortably won the general election.[6]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew before primary

Results

Runoff results by county
Ainsworth:
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
Cavanaugh:
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Twinkle Cavanaugh 238,991 43.27%
Republican Will Ainsworth 205,017 37.12%
Republican Rusty Glover 108,338 19.61%
Total votes 552,346 100.00%
Republican primary runoff results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Will Ainsworth 176,873 51.48%
Republican Twinkle Cavanaugh 166,691 48.52%
Total votes 343,564 100.00%

Democratic nominee

Declared

General election

Post-primary endorsements

Will Ainsworth (R)

Organizations

Will Boyd (D)

Labor unions

Organizations

  • Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council[15]

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Will
Ainsworth (R)		 Will
Boyd (D)		 Undecided
Research Consultants (R)[16] September 22, 2018 316 ± 5.5% 53% 39% 8%
Cygnal (R)[17] July 24–25, 2018 1,027 ± 3.1% 53% 41% 6%

Results

2018 Alabama lieutenant gubernatorial election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Will Ainsworth 1,044,941 61.25%
Democratic Will Boyd 660,013 38.69%
Write-in 1,023 0.06%
Total votes 1,705,977 100.00%
Republican hold

By county

County[18] Will Ainsworth
Republican		 Will Boyd
Democratic		 Write-in
Various		 Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Autauga 14,183 72.19% 5,450 27.74% 13 0.07% 8,733 44.45% 19,646
Baldwin 58,996 76.12% 18,465 23.82% 48 0.06% 40,531 52.29% 77,509
Barbour 4,183 50.31% 4,126 49.63% 5 0.06% 57 0.69% 8,314
Bibb 5,240 76.42% 1,615 23.55% 2 0.03% 3,625 52.87% 6,857
Blount 17,348 89.24% 2,082 10.71% 10 0.05% 15,266 78.53% 19,440
Bullock 889 24.16% 2,789 75.81% 1 0.03% -1,900 -51.64% 3,679
Butler 4,617 57.49% 3,410 42.46% 4 0.05% 1,207 15.03% 8,031
Calhoun 24,856 67.59% 11,901 32.36% 18 0.05% 12,955 35.23% 36,775
Chambers 6,463 57.91% 4,688 42.00% 10 0.09% 1,775 15.90% 11,161
Cherokee 6,995 83.40% 1,390 16.57% 2 0.02% 5,605 66.83% 8,387
Chilton 11,402 83.14% 2,309 16.84% 4 0.03% 9,093 66.30% 13,715
Choctaw 3,190 53.86% 2,728 46.06% 5 0.08% 462 7.80% 5,923
Clarke 6,279 56.67% 4,794 43.27% 6 0.05% 1,485 13.40% 11,079
Clay 4,248 79.74% 1,077 20.22% 2 0.04% 3,171 59.53% 5,327
Cleburne 3,913 89.52% 453 10.36% 5 0.11% 3,460 79.16% 4,371
Coffee 12,067 75.76% 3,850 24.17% 10 0.06% 8,217 51.59% 15,927
Colbert 13,264 64.48% 7,296 35.47% 11 0.05% 5,968 29.01% 20,571
Conecuh 2,422 49.84% 2,435 50.10% 3 0.06% -13 -0.27% 4,860
Coosa 2,824 66.07% 1,446 33.83% 4 0.09% 1,378 32.24% 4,274
Covington 9,925 82.85% 2,047 17.09% 7 0.06% 7,878 65.77% 11,979
Crenshaw 3,820 71.89% 1,492 28.08% 2 0.04% 2,328 43.81% 5,314
Cullman 24,892 87.20% 3,641 12.75% 13 0.05% 21,251 74.44% 28,546
Dale 10,371 72.88% 3,850 27.05% 10 0.07% 6,521 45.82% 14,231
Dallas 4,621 30.67% 10,439 69.28% 8 0.05% -5,818 -38.61% 15,068
DeKalb 17,593 83.08% 3,569 16.85% 14 0.07% 14,024 66.23% 21,176
Elmore 21,977 74.79% 7,398 25.18% 9 0.03% 14,579 49.62% 29,384
Escambia 8,043 67.49% 3,869 32.47% 5 0.04% 4,174 35.03% 11,917
Etowah 24,853 72.40% 9,455 27.54% 20 0.06% 15,398 44.86% 34,328
Fayette 5,660 78.20% 1,574 21.75% 4 0.06% 4,086 56.45% 7,238
Franklin 6,471 75.62% 2,080 24.31% 6 0.07% 4,391 51.31% 8,557
Geneva 7,753 86.68% 1,184 13.24% 7 0.08% 6,569 73.45% 8,944
Greene 670 16.20% 3,465 83.78% 1 0.02% -2,795 -67.58% 4,136
Hale 2,439 37.69% 4,030 62.27% 3 0.05% -1,591 -24.58% 6,472
Henry 4,620 69.89% 1,988 30.08% 2 0.03% 2,632 39.82% 6,610
Houston 23,016 71.68% 9,075 28.26% 19 0.06% 13,941 43.42% 32,110
Jackson 12,376 79.78% 3,129 20.17% 7 0.05% 9,247 59.61% 15,512
Jefferson 111,805 43.61% 144,424 56.33% 141 0.05% -32,619 -12.72% 256,370
Lamar 4,444 83.46% 880 16.53% 1 0.02% 3,564 66.93% 5,325
Lauderdale 20,927 68.18% 9,747 31.76% 19 0.06% 11,180 36.43% 30,693
Lawrence 8,346 71.11% 3,387 28.86% 3 0.03% 4,959 42.25% 11,736
Lee 29,096 59.38% 19,879 40.57% 27 0.06% 9,217 18.81% 49,002
Limestone 23,647 70.80% 9,736 29.15% 16 0.05% 13,911 41.65% 33,399
Lowndes 1,399 27.91% 3,613 72.07% 1 0.02% -2,214 -44.17% 5,013
Macon 1,176 16.28% 6,044 83.68% 3 0.04% -4,868 -67.40% 7,223
Madison 77,469 55.07% 63,118 44.87% 81 0.06% 14,351 10.20% 140,668
Marengo 4,037 46.33% 4,674 53.64% 3 0.03% -637 -7.31% 8,714
Marion 8,283 85.35% 1,414 14.57% 8 0.08% 6,869 70.78% 9,705
Marshall 22,832 83.87% 4,362 16.02% 29 0.11% 18,470 67.85% 27,223
Mobile 71,214 53.74% 61,192 46.17% 116 0.09% 10,022 7.56% 132,522
Monroe 4,897 55.91% 3,856 44.03% 5 0.06% 1,041 11.89% 8,758
Montgomery 27,912 36.33% 48,856 63.59% 60 0.08% -20,944 -27.26% 76,828
Morgan 29,399 74.70% 9,937 25.25% 19 0.05% 19,462 49.45% 39,355
Perry 1,057 25.07% 3,156 74.86% 3 0.07% -2,099 -49.79% 4,216
Pickens 4,742 57.61% 3,484 42.33% 5 0.06% 1,258 15.28% 8,231
Pike 6,084 58.74% 4,269 41.21% 5 0.05% 1,815 17.52% 10,358
Randolph 5,688 75.75% 1,818 24.21% 3 0.04% 3,870 51.54% 7,509
Russell 6,842 45.75% 8,104 54.19% 9 0.06% -1,262 -8.44% 14,955
Shelby 59,717 71.41% 23,859 28.53% 53 0.06% 35,858 42.88% 83,629
St. Clair 24,206 81.04% 5,649 18.91% 15 0.05% 18,557 62.13% 29,870
Sumter 1,252 23.36% 4,106 76.60% 2 0.04% -2,854 -53.25% 5,360
Talladega 15,860 60.59% 10,309 39.38% 8 0.03% 5,551 21.21% 26,177
Tallapoosa 11,029 70.57% 4,593 29.39% 7 0.04% 6,436 41.18% 15,629
Tuscaloosa 37,639 55.19% 30,507 44.73% 50 0.07% 7,132 10.46% 68,196
Walker 18,524 80.94% 4,342 18.97% 20 0.09% 14,182 61.97% 22,886
Washington 4,698 69.79% 2,031 30.17% 3 0.04% 2,667 39.62% 6,732
Wilcox 1,439 30.83% 3,224 69.08% 4 0.09% -1,785 -38.25% 4,667
Winston 6,802 88.80% 854 11.15% 4 0.05% 5,948 77.65% 7,660
Totals1,044,94161.25%660,01338.69%1,0230.06%384,92822.56%1,705,977

By congressional district

Ainsworth won six of seven congressional districts.[19]

District Ainsworth Boyd Representative
1st 62% 38% Bradley Byrne
2nd 64% 36% Martha Roby
3rd 64% 36% Mike Rogers
4th 79% 21% Robert Aderholt
5th 63% 37% Mo Brooks
6th 68% 32% Gary Palmer
7th 28% 72% Terri Sewell

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2018 Election Information". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  2. ↑ Ciammachilli, Esther (April 10, 2017). "Kay Ivey Moves From Lieutenant To Governor". WBHM 90.3 FM. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Alabama Democrats enter Election Day with newfound optimism". al.com. Associated Press. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2025. Alabama hasn't even had a lieutenant governor since April 2017, when Kay Ivey was elevated from the position to become governor following Robert Bentley's resignation.
  4. ↑ Koplowitz, Howard (July 18, 2018). "Will Ainsworth wins Alabama lieutenant governor runoff race; Twinkle Cavanaugh concedes". al.com. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  5. ↑ Sahlie, Will (October 17, 2018). "Alabama lt. governor candidate Will Boyd: 'I want us to be at the top in education'". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  6. ↑ Garrison, Greg (November 7, 2018). "Alabama Lt. Gov. race: Ainsworth wins". al.com. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Moseley, Brandon (January 8, 2018). "Candidates raise over $2 million in lieutenant governor's race". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh switches to lieutenant governor race". WSFA 12. August 17, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ Law, Jeremy (February 23, 2017). "Alabama Senator announces 2018 Lieutenant Governor candidacy". Sylacauga News. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ Moseley, Brandon (June 1, 2017). "Mary Scott Hunter running for Lt. Governor". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Blog - Alabama Democrats". Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Alabama REALTORS® Announces Endorsements for 2018 General Election". Alabama Association of REALTORS. September 18, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ Bruce, Daniel (August 9, 2017). "Ainsworth Receives Top Conservative Endorsement for Lt. Governor". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ Moseley, Brandon (August 6, 2018). "Alabama AFL-CIO announces endorsements". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Alabama Endorsed Candidates for the Nov. 6 Elections". Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ Stacy, Todd (September 27, 2018). "New poll shows Republicans winning six weeks out". Alabama Daily News. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Survey of Likely General Election Voters" (PDF). Cygnal. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Merrill, John (November 27, 2018). "Certified General Election Results" (PDF). Secretary of State of Alabama. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 23, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  19. ↑ "DRA 2020". Daves Redistricting. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Alabama_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election