Big Move: Senator Tommy Tuberville Announces His Run for Governor of Alabama

Republican Sen. Tommy "Coach" Tuberville has made it official. He is running in 2026 for Governor of the State of Alabama. As RedState reported in April, Tuberville told a private group of donors that he had made his decision to run, but many still awaited an official announcement. On Tuesday, Tuberville launched his campaign website and changed his X handle to "Coach for Gov."

Tuberville then made the official public announcement exclusively on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show." Tuberville appeared from Byron's Smokehouse in Auburn, AL, where he coached the Auburn University Tigers football team from 1999 to 2008. Tuberville also had coaching runs at Texas Tech and Cincinnati before he officially retired from coaching in 2016. In 2020, with a strong endorsement from President Donald Trump, Tuberville ran for the United States Senate, unseating one-term incumbent Democrat Doug Jones.

WATCH:

🚨 Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE announces that he is running for Governor of Alabama. pic.twitter.com/M4LQ3Cimo0
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 27, 2025

The Alabama Republican launched his campaign website on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation about his ambitions for the state’s highest office.
Tuberville is looking to succeed termed-out Republican Gov. Kay Ivey. He is immediately the frontrunner to win the seat in the deep red state, with other potential Republican candidates opting against a campaign. His decision also sets up an open Senate race in Alabama in the midterms.
He led the Auburn Tigers to five Western Division titles and one SEC Championship, and he was named the 2004 National Coach of the Year. Tuberville also had head coaching stops at Texas Tech and Cincinnati. After the 2016 season, Tuberville retired as one of the top 50 most winning football coaches of all time.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is term-limited, and Republican Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announced on Wednesday that he would not seek to run for the office. State Attorney General Steve Marshall also signaled that he would not seek a gubernatorial run. While AL Agriculture and Industry Commissioner Rick Pate and the former Veteran Affairs Commissioner Ken Davis are names that have also been floated as potential comers, there have been no official announcements made.

On the Democrat side, there is buzz that former Sen. Doug Jones, who Tuberville defeated for the Senate seat, plans to square off again in this governor's race.

“We have two folks on the Democratic side who have announced for governor, but this is very, very early. We believe there will be a whole lot more activity on our side,” Wayne Rodgers, chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, said. “Dr. Will Boyd has announced he’s running. A guy named Chad Martin from south Alabama has announced that he’s running. There’s a possibility that our good friend Doug Jones may be running for governor. It would be a rematch with Tommy Tuberville from 2020.”

In a state that voted 65 percent for President Donald Trump, this is a long shot for Democrats. Tuberville continues to have President Trump's backing and is the odds-on favorite to win the governor's race. His statewide and national name recognition, as well as his defense of the military, his fight to remove biological men from women's sports, and his championing of Alabama values and the state's presence on the national stage, make him a clear favorite among conservatives and Republicans, as well as a formidable Democrat foil.

Fundraising for Alabama statewide offices began on May 19. Alabama primary elections will be held on May 19, 2026.

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