Dakarai Larriett, a business owner, Birmingham native, and University of Alabama graduate, is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

Larriett is one of three Democratic candidates for the seat held by Republican Tommy Tuberville.

The others are Kyle Sweetser, a businessman from Mobile, and Mark Wheeler, a Heflin native and graduate of Jacksonville State University.

Tuberville announced Tuesday that he would run for governor instead of seeking another term in the Senate.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall launched his campaign for the Republican nomination for the Senate on Thursday.

Jared Hudson, a former Navy Seal who ran for sheriff of Jefferson County in 2022, is also seeking the Republican nomination.

Larriett, a first-time candidate, talked about education, job opportunities, free speech, and HBCUs at a “Tide Against Trump” event hosted by College Democrats at the University of Alabama on May 11.

Larriett said when he graduated from UA in 2004, he found that opportunities were limited and moved out of state to state his career.

“I’ve been speaking to my future constituents up and down the state about what matters to them,” Larriett said. “And I guess you can guess what I keep hearing. Education and the economy. They’re so intertwined.

“These are the concerns that keep them up at night.”

Larriett said he operates a pet care business and is a driver for meals on wheels.

Larriett said he was born at UAB hospital and graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts. His parents were graduates of Alabama State University and his father was in the Army.

In an interview on the Gary Richardson Morning Show on WJLD radio, Larriett said he was inspired to run for the Senate after he said he was wrongly arrested for DUI in Michigan last year.

Larriett said the charge was eventually dropped but that the process showed him the need for changes.

“We have to have due process,” Larriett said. “And we have to have a justice system that works for everyone.

“And I am so anxious to champion this cause. To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to experience due process.

“We’ve really got to think about how we stop individuals and those interactions with the police and that they’re fair and equitable.”

Democrats have won only one statewide race in Alabama since 2008. That was Doug Jones win over Roy Moore in the 2017 special election for the Senate. Jones lost to Tuberville three years later.

“I’ve always said you have to dream big. And I strongly believe that there are the votes out there,” Larriett said. “We did this in 2017.

“The votes exist for people who want leaders that they can be proud of. Leaders that will fight for the right thing and not get tied up in partisan games.”

The primary is May 19, 2026.