Hudson Comments on Barry Moore’s Faith Draw Backlash From Pastors in Alabama

The Alabama Republican U.S. Senate runoff took a sharp and deeply personal turn this week after candidate Jared Hudson appeared to question the Christian faith and character of Congressman Barry Moore in a social media post.

In the post, Hudson wrote that “Alabama wants a Senator who lives out a Christian conservative life, not someone who just talks about it in front of the cameras.”

While Hudson did not mention Moore by name, many supporters and political observers immediately interpreted the statement as a direct shot at Moore personally rather than a disagreement over policy or voting records.

The exchange marks one of the first major personal attacks of the runoff campaign and stands in contrast to Moore’s long-running reputation for avoiding personal attacks against opponents. Throughout multiple campaigns for Congress and statewide office, Moore has largely focused his messaging on policy, conservative voting records, border security, taxes, and support for President Donald Trump rather than attacking the personal lives or faith of his opponents.

Even many Alabamians who may not support Moore politically have long viewed him as a genuine man of faith.

Moore responded publicly to the criticism Friday, addressing the issue directly but without escalating the rhetoric.

“My faith is the foundation for everything I do. It guides how I serve, how I lead, and how I treat others each and every day. Heather and I felt a call from the Lord to get into this race, we knew there’d be attacks, but our faith guides us in our decisions and allows us to focus on the signal, not the noise. I’m not perfect, but I believe in striving to be more Christ-like in both my life and my work, and doing my best to reflect those values in how I serve the people of Alabama.”

The controversy quickly sparked responses from Christian leaders and conservative activists across Alabama.

Pastor Travis Johnson of Mobile publicly defended Moore and called on Hudson’s campaign to correct the statement.

“@RepBarryMoore is a brother in Christ. He’s my brother and yours. This untrue attack on his faith does not square with the Scriptures. Alabama and America are blessed by Barry Moore, a godly man in Congress who lives out a Christian conservative life and who also brings those values into the public square.

“I do hope this can be corrected with an apology or a clarifying statement very quickly,” Johnson added.

Evangelist Scott Dawson with Scott Dawson Ministries also weighed in, calling for the post to be removed.

“I have respected Jared since I first met him several years ago. I have known Barry and Heather for over a decade and have seen him in good and bad times. His faith has been consistent. This tweet needs to be deleted, a private phone call to apologize and let’s move on.”

Conservative activist Brilyn Hollyhand also defended Moore, sharing personal stories about the Congressman’s faith and character away from politics and cameras.

“When my mom was in the hospital for two months, this Navy SEAL turned social media influencer didn’t call and check on me. My friend and Congressman did. It wasn’t even an election year. But he wrote my mom’s name, who he’d never met, on a notepad by his bed to pray and check on her.”

Hollyhand also recalled Moore praying with him following the death of Charlie Kirk.

“When my friend Charlie Kirk was assassinated last September, that same week, Barry got his family and friends together to lay hands on me and pray before I went out to debate on campuses. That’s the kind of man I want representing me and my state. If this Tweet was an accident, it would already be deleted. It wasn’t. This was intentional spiritual warfare to go low and dirty.”

Some Republican activists and political observers have also pointed to what they describe as a growing pattern surrounding the Hudson campaign online, including aggressive trolling, personal attacks, and harassment directed at other candidates and supporters on social media.

Others say the tone surrounding the race is beginning to raise broader questions about leadership and campaign culture, arguing that behavior from supporters often reflects the example being set at the top of a campaign.

With just weeks remaining before the June 16 runoff, the exchange signals a potentially more aggressive phase of the race. But for many Alabama Republicans, attacking another candidate’s Christian faith may be a line that should never have been crossed.