The 2026 Alabama State Auditor election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the state auditor of Alabama. The primary election was held on May 19. Incumbent auditor Andrew Sorrell initially announced that he was retiring to run for secretary of state. He later announced that he would withdraw from that election and instead run for re-election to a second consecutive term.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Andrew Sorrell, incumbent state auditor (2023–present) (previously ran for Secretary of State) Eliminated in primary Derek Chen, businessman and lawyer
Withdrawn Robert McCollum, candidate for the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2022 and 2024 (endorsed Chen) Josh Pendergrass, former communications director for Governor Kay Ivey (running for state house)
Endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of May 18, 2026CandidateRaisedOther receiptsSpentCash on handDerek Chen (R)$516,172$575,314$1,088,588$2,927Andrew Sorrell (R)$61,938$162,600$223,620$4,917Source: Alabama FCPA
Campaign On February 24, 2025, incumbent state auditor Andrew Sorrell told 1819 News that he would forgo reelection and instead run in the 2026 Alabama Secretary of State election, seeking the office of Alabama Secretary of State. This initially left the office of state auditor open in 2026.
In June 2025, the College Republican Federation of Alabama announced the results of their first straw poll. Chen led with 47%, Pendergrass received 30%, and "Other" received the remaining 22%. Following the release of the results, Robert McCollum compared the organization to Nazis and communists. McCollum had not yet filed with the Secretary of State's office. He withdrew from the election on September 17, and endorsed Chen.
Shortly after candidate qualifying opened in January 2026, Sorrell announced that he would withdraw from the Secretary of State election, and would instead run for re-election to a second term as state auditor. Derek Chen, who had previously received several endorsements from statewide organizations such as the Alabama Farmers Federation, confirmed that he would remain in the race, and told 1819 News, "I'm just going to stay focused on continuing to run our game plan".
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Violet Edwards, Madison County commissioner
Endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of May 18, 2026CandidateRaisedOther receiptsSpentCash on handViolet Edwards (D)$20,751$2,213$11,589$11,375Source: Alabama FCPA
General election Post-primary endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2026CandidateRaisedOther receiptsSpentCash on handAndrew Sorrell (R)$120,387$167,634$258,030$29,991Violet Edwards (D)$58,932$2,237$27,505$33,663Source: Alabama FCPA
Results
References
External links Official campaign websites Violet Edwards (D) for State Auditor Andrew Sorrell (R) for State Auditor