Senator Tommy Tuberville Officially Launches Run for Governor of Alabama
Alabama Republicans are largely deferring to Tuberville in the primary.
After earlier announcing his re-election campaign, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican, has instead shifted to the open race for Governor of Alabama in 2026. Incumbent Governor Kay Ivey, also a Republican, is term-limited and can’t run again. With this news, the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama will also be open this upcoming cycle.
The 2026 cycle for Governors will see 36 contested races. Both Republicans and Democrats currently hold 18 of these seats. However, ten Republican Governors are term-limited or retiring as opposed to only six for Democrats.
Tuberville, 70, becomes the sixth Senator to retire during the 2026 cycle so far and the second Republican to do so - following Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Next year, the U.S. Senate will see 35 contested races - 33 regular elections and 2 special elections. Republicans currently hold 22 of these seats while Democrats represent the remaining 13.
Tuberville has represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate since January 2021. The 2020 Senate race was the first political campaign he competed in. He unseated the Democratic incumbent Doug Jones by a 60.1-39.7 margin in the general election.
Prior to politics, Tuberville was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 1995 to 1998, Auburn University from 1999 to 2008, Texas Tech University from 2010 to 2012, and the University of Cincinnati from 2013 to 2016. He won five national coach-of-the-year awards after Auburn’s 13-0 season in 2004, which saw the team win the Southeastern Conference title and the Sugar Bowl.
For the 119th Congress, Tuberville serves on the Senate Committees on Aging; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Armed Services; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and Veterans’ Affairs. Furthermore, he chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel as well as the Health Subcommittee on Education and the American family. He becomes the fourth member departing the Agriculture panel - joining McConnell and Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tina Smith of Minnesota. He is also the third member leaving the Armed Services panel - joining Democrats Gary Peters of Michigan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
Tuberville becomes the first Republican to enter the primary for Governor of Alabama in 2026. Several candidates who previously expressed interest in the race have instead declined to run. It’s likely Tuberville will clear the field in the Republican primary. Moreover, ambitious Alabama Republicans are now looking at the open Senate race. That may emerge as the more contested primary this cycle. No Democrats are currently seeking their party’s nomination for Governor. In the Senate contest, business owners Dakarai Larriett and Kyle Sweetser have launched campaigns. Notably, former Senator Doug Jones is being recruited by national Democrats to run for either Governor or Senate next year. He has not stated whether he plans to do so.
Alabama has supported the Republican nominee for President in every cycle since 1980. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump prevailed 64.6-34.1 against Democrat Kamala Harris in his ultimately successful national campaign. Notably, that was a 5.1% shift to the right since 2020.
And finally, Republicans have held the governor’s mansion in Alabama since Bob Riley defeated Democratic incumbent Don Siegelman in 2002. Ivey was re-elected to her second and final term with a 66.9-29.2 victory against Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers in 2022.