Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., will forgo a second term in the Senate to instead run for Alabama’s governor, cementing the retired football coach as a front-runner in the race to replace Gov. Kay Ivey.
Tuberville launched his gubernatorial run on Tuesday after weeks of speculation, centering his campaign around amplifying “conservative Alabama values.” The announcement gives the well-known senator a leg up against any potential GOP challengers who may throw their hats into the ring in the coming months.
“I’m doing this to help this country and the great state of Alabama,” Tuberville told Fox News. “I’m a football coach. I’m a leader. I’m a builder. I’m a recruiter, and we’re going to grow Alabama.”
The bid is a significant move for Tuberville, who made his debut in politics when he ran for Alabama’s Senate seat in 2020.
Tuberville was able to use his name recognition and successful career as a college football coach to catapult himself to a GOP primary win over Jeff Sessions, who previously held the Senate seat before resigning in 2017 to serve as the U.S. attorney general in President Donald Trump’s first term.
Tuberville then went on to defeat Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones, restoring the Senate seat to Republican control.
The first-term senator outlined a number of priorities he would focus on if elected, closely aligning himself with Trump’s agenda.
“We’re going to bring manufacturing to this state. We’re going to stop this illegal immigration. We’re going to make education better again, and we’re going to do everything possible to make sure our kids ... stay in this state and work,” Tuberville told Fox News.
Tuberville told the outlet he had Trump’s support, making it likely he will receive a highly coveted endorsement from the president.
No Democrat has launched a bid for the governor’s race as of Wednesday, and the race is expected to favor the Republican nominee.
Tuberville’s exit from the Senate opens up his seat in the 2026 midterm elections, which could attract a crowded primary of Republican candidates seeking to replace him. That seat is widely expected to favor Republicans and is rated as a “Solid Republican” seat by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.