1978 United States Senate election in Alabama

Senator John Sparkman decided to retire and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin was elected to succeed him.Heflin won the Democratic primary against Rep. Walter Flowers and faced only nominal opposition from Prohibition Party nominee Jerome Couch in the general election.Incumbent Democrat John Sparkman declined to seek a seventh consecutive term in office.Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin and Congressman Walter Flowers of Tuscaloosa were the leading candidates.He was rebuffed by Allen's widow, Maryon, who succeeded her husband as Senator and supported Flowers.
Democratic primary first round results by county
Heflin
  • 30–40%
  • 40–50%
  • 50–60%
  • 60–70%
  • 70–80%
  • 80–90%
Flowers
  • 40–50%
  • 50–60%
  • 60–70%
  • 70–80%
  • 80-90%
Baker
  • 40–50%
  • 50-60%
  • 60–70%
Democratic primary runoff results by county
Heflin
  • 50–60%
  • 60–70%
  • 70–80%
  • 80–90%
Flowers
  • 50–60%
  • 60–70%
  • 70–80%
Howell HeflinDemocraticProhibitionU.S. senatorJohn SparkmanElections in AlabamaFederal governmentPresidential electionsPresidential primariesRepublicanU.S. Senate elections1822 sp1826 sp1837 sp1841 sp1848 sp1849 sp1872 sp1878 sp1880 sp1907 sp1914 sp1920 sp1938 sp1946 sp1978 sp2017 spU.S. House of Representatives elections3rd sp7th sp6th sp1st sp8th sp5th sp2nd sp4th spState governmentGubernatorial electionsLieutenant gubernatorial electionsAttorney General electionsSecretary of State electionsState Auditor electionsState Treasurer electionsCommissioner of Agriculture and Industries electionsSupreme Court electionsPublic Service Commission electionsSenate electionsHouse of Representatives electionsBallot measuresAmendment 1Amendment 2Amendment 774Amendment 1 (November)AuburnMunicipalBirminghamMayoral electionsHuntsvilleLee CountyMobileMontgomery2009 spAlabama Supreme CourtWalter FlowersDemocratic Partytantamount to electionJames Thomas Heflinwhite supremacyGeorge WallaceJimmy CarterRichard NixonJames AllenJames D. MartinAlabama's 7th congressional districtspecial election1978 United States Senate elections1978 Alabama gubernatorial electionClerk of the United States House of RepresentativesU.S. Government Printing Office1978 United States elections→ 1979U.S. SenateAlabama (special)AlaskaArkansasColoradoDelawareGeorgiaIllinoisKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMinnesota (special)MississippiMontanaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOklahomaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeVirginiaWest VirginiaWyomingU.S. HouseAlabamaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaHawaiiIndianaMarylandMissouriNevadaNew York18th sp21st spNorth DakotaPennsylvaniaVermontUnited States Virgin IslandsWashingtonWisconsinGovernorsLt. 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