U.S. House, Alabama 6th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Alabama's 6th Congressional District?
Gary Palmer has the strongest record in Alabama's 6th Congressional District. Gary Palmer scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Maurice Mercer at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Gary Palmer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Maurice Mercer's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Maurice Mercer
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Gary Palmer
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 63
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.
Maurice Mercer
- Credit2012
Became the first Black man elected to the Pelham City Council in 2012; re-elected in 2016 and 2020 and chosen council president by the council in November 2020.
Sources: BirminghamWatch, Aug. 12, 2026, Shelby County Reporter, Nov. 4, 2020
Gary Palmer
- On the record2021-01-06
Signed the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania House amicus brief and voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021; both objections failed.
Sources: Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives, House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2026
Voted Yea on the ROTOR Act (S. 2503) in 2026 when Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise and Whip Emmer voted Nay; the bill failed under suspension.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
- Credit2026-06-26
Sponsored Lulu's Law (H.R. 2076); its Senate companion, S. 1003, was enacted June 26, 2026.
- Credit2026-09-15
Introduced the CHARM Act on critical-mineral recovery with Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y.; the House passed it by voice vote in September 2026.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Maurice Mercer. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Gary Palmer. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed April 15, 2026. No periodic transaction reports, House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075305, House Committee on Ethics site search for Palmer, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. Voted Yea on the ROTOR Act in 2026 when the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip voted Nay and the bill failed.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Maurice Mercer. Served on the Pelham City Council from 2012 to 2025, the last years as council president. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Shelby County Reporter, May 28, 2026, BirminghamWatch, Aug. 12, 2026
Gary Palmer. Led the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years and has served in the House since January 2015. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Office site, Meet Gary, House Committee on Ethics site search for Palmer
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Maurice Mercer. Was sworn in as a Pelham City Council member and served three terms. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Gary Palmer. Voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021, and signed the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania House amicus brief.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Maurice Mercer. Three-term Pelham City Council member (2012 to 2025) and council president from 2020; works as a business account executive.
Sources: Shelby County Reporter, May 28, 2026, BirminghamWatch, Aug. 12, 2026
Gary Palmer. In the U.S. House since January 2015, now seeking a seventh term; earlier president of the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years.
Sources: GovTrack, Gary Palmer, Office site, Meet Gary
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Maurice Mercer. Publishes a platform on costs, health care, education and workforce, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Platform
Gary Palmer. Chairs the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment; bills he sponsored were enacted in 2025 and 2026, and his CHARM Act passed the House in September 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Alabama Political Reporter, Sept. 17, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Maurice Mercer. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes a platform page.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Maurice Mercer, Campaign site, Platform
Gary Palmer. Offers an e-newsletter and publishes issue pages on his office site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Maurice Mercer. Lives in Pelham and served 13 years on its city council. His one itemized contribution reported by state so far is from Alabama.
Sources: Shelby County Reporter, May 28, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Gary Palmer. Based in Birmingham; grew up in Hackleburg in northwest Alabama. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 76 percent of itemized individual contributions from Alabama.
Sources: Alabama Daily News, Feb. 2026, Office site, Meet Gary, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Maurice Mercer. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Gary Palmer. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.224 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.207, meeting expectations. Primary sponsor of four enacted bills, most recently Lulu's Law, enacted June 26, 2026.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 2076 (119th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. Missed 86 of 6,404 roll call votes, 1.3 percent, from January 2015 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. Keeps district offices in Birmingham and Millbrook, offers help with federal agencies, and hosts a monthly 'Pastries with Palmer' meet-and-greet for constituents in his Washington office.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.24016 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 380 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Maurice Mercer. No public record found.
Gary Palmer. 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 6th Congressional District?
Gary Palmer has the strongest record in Alabama's 6th Congressional District. Gary Palmer scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Maurice Mercer at 56, as of October 6, 2026. Gary Palmer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Maurice Mercer's highest marks are relevant experience and 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 6th Congressional District in 2026?
Maurice Mercer (Democratic), Gary Palmer (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Maurice Mercer a good candidate for Congress?
Maurice Mercer scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Gary Palmer a good candidate for Congress?
Gary Palmer scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 63 of 100. 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.