The 1978 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 1978, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. While 35 districts were up for election, only 9 saw Republican opposition. Both of the state's Black senators, U. W. Clemon and J. Richmond Pearson, won re-election, with the newly elected Michael Figures joining their ranks.
Primary elections were held on September 5 with runoffs on September 26. This election used the same legislative map as was used in 1974, utilizing single-member districts.
Incumbent president pro tempore Joe Fine did not run for another term, instead opting for an attorney general campaign, which was unsuccessful. Finis St. John was unanimously elected president on January 9, 1979.
â : Incumbent did not run for reelection. â¡: Lost re-election.
The following candidates retired or sought other offices:
The following candidates did not see any competition in the general election:
Democrats contested every seat in the state senate. Of the 35 incumbent Democratic senators, only 16 sought election (46 percent). Of the 16 who sought re-election:
Candidates in boldface advanced to the general election. An asterisk (*) denotes a runoff winner who was the runner-up in the first round.
Candidates in boldface advanced to either the general election or a runoff, first-place winners with an asterisk (*) did not face a runoff.
The following candidates were the only candidates to file for their district's Democratic primary
Republicans contested nine state senate seats. Due to a general lack of Republican candidates across the state, only one of these districts, District 11, required a primary.
The following candidates were the only candidates to file for their district's Republican primary:
A special election in District 19 was triggered by the resignation of incumbent Democratic senator Bobby Weaver after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges in January 1976. State representative John Teague won the special election to succeed him.
A special election in District 29 was triggered by the death of incumbent Democratic senator Walter C. Givhan on February 18, 1976. Republican national committeewoman Jean Sullivan and businessman Earl Goodwin both sought the seat. An apparent miscount in Dallas County put Sullivan ahead, but Goodwin took the lead after the mistake was discovered. Earl Goodwin spent over $20,000 on his successful state senate bid, spending about $15,000 on advertising. In 1976, Alabama lacked any sort of provision providing for an automatic recount in a general or general special election. Sullivan considered contesting the results of the race into late September. On September 28, the deadline to file a recount, Sullivan stated that she would not contest the results, saying she "regrets that the recount cannot be done because so many people want to know the truth about the election."
A special election in District 25 was triggered after incumbent Democratic senator Crum Foshee was forced to vacate his seat due to a mail fraud conviction. Radio station owner Wallace Miller easily won the special election. Over a year after Foshee's initial conviction, the Fifth Circuit Court reversed Foshee's conviction, ruling that he and his brother were entitled to a new trial. Under state law, lawmakers are disqualified from holding office if they are sentenced to prison, however they "shall be returned to office" if a conviction is overturned. On March 21, 1978, the Senate voted to reinstate Foshee 29 to 0. Wallace Miller abstained from the vote, and there was no animosity reported between the two, with Lieutenant governor Jere Beasley stating "it was like a mother choosing between two children." In the 1978 primaries, Foshee declined to run again, with Wallace Miller once again being elected state senator.
A special election in District 1 was triggered after incumbent Democratic senator Ronnie Flippo resigned in November 1976. He was elected U.S. Representative in November 1976, but resigned from his state senate post early to allow for an earlier special election to take place. Former Florence city councilor Oscar Peden, who described himself as an "Independent Democrat", won in an upset over Democratic attorney Jimmy Hunt, who was backed by the state Democratic executive committee and governor George Wallace. Oscar Peden attempted to run for re-election as a Democrat in 1978, but was eliminated in the Democratic primary.
A special election in Senate District 22 was triggered after incumbent Democratic senator C. C. Torbert Jr.'s election to the Alabama Supreme Court in 1976. Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives G. J. Higginbotham defeated independent Frank Roberts for the seat.
A special election in District 18 was triggered by the resignation of incumbent Democratic senator Obie Littleton after his sentencing to prison for fraud. Lister Hill Proctor won the election to succeed Littleton.