Tuberville Considers Leaving Senate to Run for Governor of Alabama
Senator Tommy Tuberville is considering a run for governor of Alabama in 2026, believing he has a solid chance to win. He mentioned to Alabama Daily News that he hasn’t made a final decision yet and knows it would be tough to leave Congress, but he’s interested in the governor’s role.
“As the CEO of a state, you can do more in less time,” he said. “I’m not planning to be up here forever.”
Tuberville, who gained national recognition prior to the Senate as the head football coach at Auburn University, has been the subject of political pundits speculating the potential candidates for Alabama’s gubernatorial race.
This week, Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio reignited those rumors after posting his brief conversation with Tuberville.
Tuberville has discussed the potential switch with Senate leadership and other senators who were previously governors. He also said he’s been encouraged by the response from people in Alabama who are interested in seeing him run.
“I’ll have people here today, ask me, ‘What are you going to do, coach? We need you to come back,’” Tuberville told Alabama DailyNews. “We have all the county commissioners coming from the state of Alabama this week, and it’s encouraging that I’d have a good opportunity to win, but also can win this one, this seat.”
Tuberville conceded that the decision to leave a U.S. Senate would be a difficult one, especially with his party enjoying the majority.
Other potential candidates for the seat that will be vacated by current Gov. Kay Ivey include Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who plans to announce his decision after the Alabama State Legislature completes its 2025 session.
