Katherine Robertson beats Jay Mitchell in heated GOP Alabama Attorney General race

The race to become Alabama’s next attorney general saw a significant shift on Tuesday as Katherine Robertson secured the Republican nomination. Robertson emerged victorious in the runoff election against Jay Mitchell, marking a pivotal moment in the 2026 election cycle.

The Path to Victory

The Associated Press projected the win for Robertson shortly after 8:30 p.m. With 66 of 67 counties reporting their final tallies, Robertson captured 55% of the vote, totaling 168,298 ballots compared to Mitchell’s 137,308 votes, or 45%. Voter turnout for the runoff reached 10.6%, a decrease from the 23% participation seen in the May 19 primary.

Robertson, who has served as chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall since 2017, now advances to the November 3 general election. There, she will face the Democratic nominee, Jeffrey McLaughlin. The winner of that contest will succeed Marshall, who has held the office since 2017.

A Contentious Campaign Ends

The primary and runoff cycle was a contentious campaign defined by heated rhetoric. Robertson led in the May 19 primary, but the runoff was marked by ongoing friction. Mitchell, who resigned from the Alabama Supreme Court to pursue the nomination, repeatedly criticized Robertson for accepting nearly $3 million in contributions from non-disclosed, out-of-state sources. Robertson defended the funding as being linked to her endorsement by the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Candidate Reactions and Backgrounds

Following the loss, Mitchell issued a statement thanking his supporters and confirming he had reached out to congratulate Robertson. “While tonight’s results were not what we hoped for, I rest knowing we gave this race everything we had,” Mitchell said. Mitchell was previously elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2018 and re-elected in 2024.

Robertson, an eighth-generation Dallas County native, campaigned on her nine-year tenure as chief counsel, highlighting her efforts alongside Marshall to challenge the Biden administration and align with President Trump’s policies. Her campaign raised and spent $5.8 million, while Mitchell’s effort totaled $4.7 million. Robertson also secured major endorsements from the Alabama Farmers Federation and various state industry associations.

General Election Outlook

If successful in November, Robertson will achieve a historic milestone as the first woman elected as Alabama's attorney general. Her opponent, Jeffrey McLaughlin, is an attorney who previously served for nearly a decade in the Alabama House of Representatives before his tenure ended in 2010.