Senator Tommy Tuberville officially kicks off 2026 Alabama governor campaign, promising tough conservative leadership
Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach turned U.S. senator, has officially entered the race for governor of Alabama in 2026, ending months of speculation about his political future.
On Tuesday, Tuberville launched a campaign website, Coach Tuberville For Governor, where he pledged to uphold “common sense” and defend conservative values in Montgomery, the state capital. The announcement was cemented with a live declaration on Fox News’ The Will Cain Show from Auburn: “Today I will announce that I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama.”
Tuberville, 70, has been weighing a run for governor rather than seeking re-election to the Senate. The Republican primary is scheduled for May 19, 2026, but no other GOP candidates have officially declared yet.
Political experts believe Tuberville will be a formidable contender. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, previously considered a frontrunner, announced last week he won’t run. Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate also ruled himself out, quipping that only Nick Saban could beat Tuberville.
Tuberville will aim to succeed current Governor Kay Ivey, who will have served nearly a decade when her term ends in January 2027.
As governor, Tuberville plans to fight “woke ideology” and boost Alabama’s manufacturing sector. His website stresses law enforcement support and a tough stance on illegal immigration, including collaboration with President Donald Trump to deport “illegal alien criminals.”
Before politics, Tuberville was a celebrated football coach. From 1999 to 2008, he compiled a 159-99 record over 21 seasons, including 14 in the SEC. Auburn’s 2004 team, led by Tuberville, went undefeated at 13-0 and won the SEC Championship.
Tuberville surged in politics with Trump’s endorsement during the 2020 Republican Senate primary. He defeated former senator Jeff Sessions in the GOP runoff with 61% of the vote and then won comfortably against Democrat Doug Jones in the general election.
Since then, Tuberville has become one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in the Senate, a crucial position in Alabama politics, where loyalty to Trump is often essential for GOP success. Jess Brown, a political science expert, said, “I can’t see anybody running in the Republican primary for governor with a record more Trumpian than Senator Tuberville.”
However, Tuberville’s career has not been without controversy. In 2023, he stalled military promotions for 10 months over Pentagon policies on abortion-related travel, a move that sparked national debate. He also faced backlash for comments made at a Trump rally in 2022 that were criticised as racially insensitive, though his team said the issue was crime, not race.
Financial scrutiny has also shadowed Tuberville. He trades stocks frequently — more than most senators — including some trades timed suspiciously around market events, such as an Apple stock trade before a downturn. Questions remain about whether he fully meets Alabama’s seven-year residency requirement for governor. Though he claims a homestead exemption on a home in Auburn, he and his wife still own expensive properties in Florida.
Despite potential legal challenges, political analysts predict these issues won’t derail Tuberville’s campaign. The Alabama Supreme Court, composed of nine Republican justices, would likely uphold his eligibility.
With his name expected to dominate the ballot, former GOP chairman and state senator Bill Armistead remarked, “I cannot see a major opponent to him in the Republican primary, certainly not in the general election.”
Tuberville’s entry into the governor’s race opens his Senate seat in 2026, setting the stage for a high-stakes political year in Alabama.
