Who is running for State Senator, District 16 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for State Senator, District 16 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Alabama Senate District 16.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | J.T. "Jabo" WaggonerRepublican | Spencer StoneDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Safety net programs | No public position | Expand help for childcare, housing and paid family leaveSaid · low |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestVoted · low | No public position |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · low | No public position |
| School choice | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| Election rules | Strict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Marijuana | Medical use onlyVoted · medium | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Qualified immunity | Yes, and strengthen it by writing it into law and covering officers' legal costsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Kids online | Require app stores and platforms to verify age and get parental consentVoted · medium | No public position |
| School vaccines | Keep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionsVoted · low | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Religion in schools | Support laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsVoted · medium | No public position |
J.T. "Jabo" Waggoner
Republican · IncumbentAlabama State Senator, District 16
J.T. "Jabo" Waggoner has represented District 16 in the Alabama Senate since 1990 and earlier served in the Alabama House from 1966 to 1974 and 1974 to 19831. He holds a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College and a J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law1. At 89 he is the longest-serving lawmaker in state history and has served as Senate minority leader, majority leader and Rules Committee chairman2. He faces Democrat Spencer Stone on the November 3, 2026 ballot3.
Where they stand 17 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB184 on third reading (roll call 383), which made it a felony to provide puberty blockers, hormones or surgery to a minor to alter gender (passed 24 to 6). (2022-02-23) source
MarijuanaMedical use onlymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB236 on third reading (roll call 683), which created a state medical marijuana program for patients with qualifying conditions (passed 17 to 6). (2019-05-09) source
- Voted for SB46 on third reading (roll call 251), which created a state medical cannabis program (passed 20 to 10). (2021-02-24) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for HB391 on third reading (roll call 1008), which requires K-12 public school sports teams to be based on biological sex (passed 25 to 5). (2021-04-15) source
- Voted for HB261 on third reading (roll call 550), which extended the biological-sex rule for sports teams to public colleges (passed 26 to 4). (2023-05-03) source
Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB1 on third reading (roll call 28), which made it a crime to be paid, or to pay someone, to help a voter fill out or deliver an absentee ballot application (passed 27 to 8). (2024-02-13) source
- Voted for SB142 on third reading (roll call 758), which removed the Electronic Registration Information Center as a source for finding voters whose addresses changed (passed 25 to 5). (2025-04-17) source
- Voted for HB285 on third reading (roll call 1456), which banned curbside voting and required voting machines to stay inside polling places (passed 25 to 6). (2021-05-17) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for HB129, the CHOOSE Act (roll call 180), which created education savings accounts of up to 7,000 dollars per student for private school and other education costs, open to all families starting in the 2027-28 school year (passed 23 to 9). (2024-03-06) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB129 on third reading (roll call 69), which bars public universities, K-12 schools and state agencies from funding diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs (passed 26 to 7). (2024-02-22) source
Qualified immunityYes, and strengthen it by writing it into law and covering officers' legal costsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for HB202, the Back the Blue Act (roll call 1085), which gives law enforcement officers immunity from civil suits and criminal charges for conduct within their discretionary authority, with exceptions for reckless conduct and constitutional violations (passed 25 to 6). (2025-05-14) source
- Was listed as a cosponsor of SB129, which would have replaced officer immunity law with a broader statutory protection for law enforcement officers; it did not become law. (2025-02-06) source
Religion in schoolsSupport laws requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms and optional prayer periodsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB99 on final passage (roll call 979), which requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in grade 5 through 12 classrooms and common areas when donated posters are available (passed 28 to 6). (2026-03-31) source
Kids onlineRequire app stores and platforms to verify age and get parental consentmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for SB187 on final passage (roll call 749), which would require app stores to verify users' ages and get parental consent before minors download apps (passed 26 to 6; the bill later died in the House). (2025-04-17) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for final passage of HB314 (roll call 719), which made performing an abortion a felony with an exception for a serious health risk to the mother and no exception for rape or incest (passed 25 to 6). (2019-05-14) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightlow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for HB272 on third reading (roll call 480), which allows carrying a concealed handgun without a permit (passed 23 to 6). (2022-03-03) source
School vaccinesKeep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for SB85 on final passage (roll call 493), which would let parents claim a religious exemption from school vaccine requirements without stating a reason and extend the exemption to college students (passed 26 to 5; the bill later died in the House). (2025-04-03) source
E-Verify mandateNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for HB56 on third reading (roll call 608), the 2011 state immigration law that, among other provisions, required all Alabama employers to use E-Verify and let police check immigration status during stops (passed 23 to 11). (2011-05-05) source
ImmigrationNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for SB53 on third reading (roll call 96), which created state crimes of concealing or smuggling a person in the country illegally and set a process for checking a detainee's immigration status (passed 24 to 8). (2025-02-13) source
- Voted for SB63 (roll call 86), which requires law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints from people in custody who are in the country illegally (passed 24 to 7). (2025-02-13) source
- Voted for HB56 on third reading (roll call 608), the 2011 state immigration law that, among other provisions, required all Alabama employers to use E-Verify and let police check immigration status during stops (passed 23 to 11). (2011-05-05) source
China policyNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for the Senate version of HB379 (roll call 856), which bars the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia and entities they control from acquiring real property in Alabama (passed 26 to 7). (2023-05-18) source
RedistrictingNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for SB5 on third reading (roll call 10), the congressional district map the Legislature drew after a federal court ordered a redraw (passed 24 to 8). (2023-07-19) source
Business regulationNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted for SB71 on final passage (roll call 229), which bars state agencies from adopting environmental rules stricter than federal requirements (passed 27 to 7). (2026-02-03) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Nuclear power.
Spencer Stone
DemocratPublic school computer science teacher and coach
Spencer Stone is a 43-year-old computer science teacher and coach from Pelham with 16 years as an educator in central Alabama schools12. He graduated from Pelham High School and holds a graduate degree from the University of Montevallo (2011) and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama (2015)3. He faces Republican incumbent J.T. "Jabo" Waggoner on the November 3, 2026 ballot4.
Where they stand 2 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Safety net programsExpand help for childcare, housing and paid family leavelow
School choiceNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- Said that in year one it must be codified that there is a cap on how much money can be put into the CHOOSE Act program. (2026-01-12) source
No public position found on: Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.