The majority of Republican sheriffs have been elected in the more rural counties with lower population
The state of Alabama has  and 11 African-American sheriffs
Federal elections 
The state's two U.S
senators are Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, both of whom are Republican
Together, 1,496 individual schools provide education for 744,637 elementary and secondary students
Public school funding is appropriated through the Alabama Legislature through the Education Trust Fund
In FY 2006–2007, Alabama appropriated $3,775,163,578 for primary and secondary education
That represented an increase of $444,736,387 over the previous fiscal year
In 2007, more than 82 percent of schools made adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward student proficiency under the National No Child Left Behind law, using measures determined by the state of Alabama
While Alabama's public education system has improved in recent decades, it lags behind in achievement compared to other states
Census data (2000), Alabama's high school graduation rate (75%) is the fourth lowest in the U.S
(after Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi)
The largest educational gains were among people with some college education but without degrees
According to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP), Alabama ranks 39 in reading and 40 in math among fourth-grade students in the rankings from 2022
The rate of school corporal punishment in Alabama is surpassed by only Mississippi and Arkansas
Colleges and universities 

Alabama's programs of higher education include 14 four-year public universities, two-year community colleges, and 17 private, undergraduate and graduate universities
Public, post-secondary education in Alabama is overseen by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education
Colleges and universities in Alabama offer degree programs from two-year associate degrees to a multitude of doctoral level programs
The largest single campus is the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, with 37,665 enrolled for fall 2016
The oldest institutions are the public University of North Alabama in Florence and the Catholic Church-affiliated Spring Hill College in Mobile, both founded in 1830
News & World Report, Alabama had four tier one universities (University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Alabama in Huntsville)
Media 

Major newspapers include Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register, and Montgomery Advertiser
Sports

Professional sports 

Alabama has several professional and semi-professional sports teams, including three minor league baseball teams
The Talladega Superspeedway motorsports complex hosts a series of NASCAR events
It has a seating capacity of 143,000 and is the thirteenth largest stadium in the world and sixth largest stadium in America
Also, the Barber Motorsports Park has hosted IndyCar Series and Rolex Sports Car Series races
The ATP Birmingham was a World Championship Tennis tournament held from 1973 to 1980
College sports 
College football is extremely popular in Alabama, particularly the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn University Tigers, rivals in the Southeastern Conference
Alabama averages over 100,000 fans per game and Auburn averages over 80,000—both numbers among the top twenty in the nation
Bryant–Denny Stadium is the home of the Alabama football team, and has a seating capacity of 101,821, and is the fifth largest stadium in America
Jordan-Hare Stadium is the home field of the Auburn football team and seats up to 87,451
Protective Stadium is home of the UAB Blazers football program and the Birmingham Bowl
Rail 

For rail transport, Amtrak schedules the Crescent, a daily passenger train, running from New York to New Orleans with station stops at Anniston, Birmingham, and Tuscaloosa
I-22 enters the state from Mississippi and connects Birmingham with Memphis, Tennessee
In addition, there are currently five auxiliary interstate routes in the state: I-165 in Mobile, I-359 in Tuscaloosa, I-459 around Birmingham, I-565 in Decatur and Huntsville, and I-759 in Gadsden
A sixth route, I-685, will be formed when I-85 is rerouted along a new southern bypass of Montgomery
A proposed northern bypass of Birmingham will be designated as I-422
Since a direct connection from I-22 to I-422 will not be possible, I-222 has been proposed, as well
Highways also pass through the state, such as U.S
Route 11 (US-11), US-29, US-31, US-43, US-45, US-72, US-78, US-80, US-82, US-84, US-90, US-98, US-231, US-278, US-280, US-331, US-411, and US-431
Ports 
The Port of Mobile, Alabama's only saltwater port, is a large seaport on the Gulf of Mexico with inland waterway access to the Midwest by way of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway
The Port of Mobile was ranked 12th by tons of traffic in the United States during 2009
The newly expanded container terminal at the Port of Mobile was ranked as the 25th busiest for container traffic in the nation during 2011
The state's other ports are on rivers with access to the Gulf of Mexico
Alabama: The History of a Deep South State (1994)
Alabama in the Twentieth Century (2004)
History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography (4 vols, 1921)
Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State (2004)
"Latinization in the Heart of Dixie: Hispanics in Late-twentieth-century Alabama" Alabama Review (2002, 55(4): 243–274)
The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States (1974)
