Alabama Politics by the Numbers is devoted to exploring Alabama state politics using quantitative data. Here, I take a non-partisan, statistical lens to make sense of the forces shaping the state legislature, elections, and more. In this space, you’ll find information related to state legislator ideology and voting patterns, seat ratings and forecasts, and legislator WAR ratings. Much of what you’ll see here, while Alabama specific, will be similar to data/journalism in other outlets at the national level (e.g., The Upshot, Vote View, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Split Ticket). Ultimately, this project combines political science research, quantitative analysis, and clear visuals to highlight how politics works in Montgomery and beyond.

Blog Articles

Read my latest pieces on Alabama politics. Articles focus upon the quantitative phenomena surrounding state politics using raw data, data visualization, statistical analysis and more. These articles are designed to objectively reflect upon current events in the Yellowhammer State.

Legislator Ideology

Explore where Alabama’s legislators rank in ideological space (liberal-to-conservative) by chamber, party, or district. Data are current through the 2025 regular session of the state legislature.

WAR Ratings

Assess how Alabama politicians stack up against one another with respect to their election strength using WAR (wins-above-replacement) ratings covering members of the legislature serving since 2024.

Seat Ratings and Forecasts

Examine which seats in the legislature are most vulnerable for either party to flip in the upcoming 2026 election cycle.

Data Use and Citation

All data, charts, and analyses on Alabama Politics by the Numbers are the intellectual property and copyright of David Hughes. They may be cited, quoted, or shared for educational or journalistic purposes with proper attribution. Republishing or reproducing the data in full without citation is prohibited.
When citing, please use:

David Hughes, Alabama Politics by the Numbers, [URL of the page], accessed [date].