U.S. House, Alabama 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Alabama's 1st Congressional District?
Jerry Carl has the strongest record in Alabama's 1st Congressional District. Jerry Carl scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Clyde Jones at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Jerry Carl's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Clyde Jones's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Strongest record
Jerry Carl
63 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 58
Democratic
Clyde Jones
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jerry Carl
- On the record2021-01-07
Voted Yea on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021; both objections failed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
Clyde Jones
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jerry Carl. A 2026 House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 15, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found. The Clerk lists no stock trade reports for him.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078455, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC administrative fines search
Clyde Jones. A House candidate financial disclosure is on file (filed Sept. 6, 2026), and campaign reports are on file with the FEC. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082789, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jerry Carl. Voted against measures his party's House leaders backed, including the November 2023 continuing resolution, the March 2024 appropriations package and the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 658, 2023 (H.R. 6363), House Clerk Roll Call 102, 2024 (H.Res. 1102, concurrence in H.R. 2882), House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024 (Ukraine Security Supplemental)
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jerry Carl. No public record found.
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jerry Carl. Served eight years on the Mobile County Commission and four years in the U.S. House, plus a long business career. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Campaign site, About, House Committee on Ethics site search
Clyde Jones. Served 21 years in the Army, retiring as a first sergeant, then worked as a process safety coordinator and led the board of a statewide nonprofit. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Alabama Political Reporter, June 2, 2026, Ballotpedia, Candidate Connection survey
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jerry Carl. Voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
Clyde Jones. Served 21 years in the U.S. Army, including Desert Storm and the Iraq war. No official finding of misconduct found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jerry Carl. Represented Alabama's 1st District in the U.S. House for two terms, 2021 to 2025, after eight years on the Mobile County Commission.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jerry Carl, GovTrack, Jerry Carl
Clyde Jones. Retired Army first sergeant with 21 years of service, retired chemical plant process safety coordinator and former board president of Alabama Arise. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Candidate Connection survey, Alabama Political Reporter, June 2, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jerry Carl. Served on the House Appropriations Committee in the 118th Congress. His campaign issue page states positions on immigration, spending, education and other topics, mostly in general terms.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jerry Carl, Campaign site, Issues
Clyde Jones. Publishes positions on affordability, congressional checks on the executive and health care, mostly in general terms.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Candidate Connection survey
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jerry Carl. Publishes an issue page and gave issue interviews to Alabama Daily News during the 2026 race. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Alabama Daily News, Aug. 3, 2026, Ballotpedia, Jerry Carl
Clyde Jones. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes plain-language issue statements.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Clyde W. Jones Jr., Campaign site, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jerry Carl. Born in Mobile, where he has built businesses for more than 40 years and served on the County Commission. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 73 percent of itemized individual contributions from Alabama.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jerry Carl, Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Clyde Jones. Has lived in Baldwin County since 2013 and lives in Daphne, where he is an associate minister; serves on the Leadership Baldwin steering committee. FEC by-state totals show about 71 percent of itemized individual contributions from Alabama.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Candidate Connection survey, Alabama Political Reporter, June 2, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jerry Carl. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026, showing $1.16 million raised. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Clyde Jones. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026, showing $85,968 raised. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jerry Carl. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.523 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.194, below expectations, and below expectations in the 117th. GovTrack lists no bill he sponsored as enacted.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jerry Carl. Missed 13 of 2,239 roll call votes, 0.6 percent, from January 2021 to December 2024.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jerry Carl. No public record found.
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jerry Carl. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.55083 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 234 of 436, a negative score above the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jerry Carl. No public record found.
Clyde Jones. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Alabama's 1st Congressional District?
Jerry Carl has the strongest record in Alabama's 1st Congressional District. Jerry Carl scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Clyde Jones at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Jerry Carl's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Clyde Jones's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Alabama's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Jerry Carl (Republican), Clyde Jones (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jerry Carl a good candidate for Congress?
Jerry Carl scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 58 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Clyde Jones a good candidate for Congress?
Clyde Jones scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Alabama race scored, and the Alabama 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.