Alabama Lawmakers Resign

Two Republican lawmakers from Alabama have announced their resignations. Rep. Debbie Wood and state legislator Tom Butler stated this week that they will not seek re-election in 2026. Wood mentioned to the Alabama Daily News that she will be stepping down by the end of July due to relocating outside her district.

On the other hand, Butler is closing out a 40-year tenure in the Alabama Legislature, which began when he was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives in 1982 and will end when his term expires in 2026. “I’m still in the state for a year and a half, and I’m going to make the most of it,” Butler said. “I’m not going to be a lame duck. I’m going to clean the rest of them.”

Wood’s resignation could lead to a special election for her District 38 seat, where the winner will serve only a few months before the official 2026 election. Following constitutional amendments passed in 2018, legislative positions must be vacant after October 1 during their third year of a four-year term, leaving them unfilled until the next regular election.

There are already a couple of Republican candidates eligible to run for her seat. Butler’s resignation creates a more intriguing situation. His District 2 encompasses parts of Madison County, including some of East Limestone, where recent election outcomes have shown a shift toward Democratic preferences. While Butler was a candidate in the race, his departure makes the seat more precarious for Republicans.

This vulnerability may increase due to ongoing lawsuits about legislative district changes that could alter the state Senate’s voting landscape. Advocates of the lawsuit believe that Democrats might gain advantageous Senate districts in both the Huntsville and Montgomery areas.

It would be somewhat ironic if District 2 flipped, given that Butler was first elected as a Democrat in 1982. He struggled in subsequent elections until 2010, when he was re-elected to the Senate as a Republican after switching parties in 2018.