US Sen. Tommy Tuberville announces 2026 bid for Alabama governor

AUBURN, Ala. — Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who entered politics after a successful career as a head football coach at Auburn and three other major college programs, announced Tuesday that he is running for governor of Alabama next year.

''Today, I will announce that I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama,'' Tuberville said on ''The Will Cain Show'' on Fox News, following weeks of speculation.

"I'm a football coach. I'm a leader. I'm a builder. I'm a recruiter, and we're going to grow Alabama," Tuberville said, pledging to improve education and bring manufacturing to the state while stopping illegal immigration.

Tuberville is expected to be a formidable entry in the race to succeed Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who cannot run again because of term limits.

Tuberville made the announcement in front of his family and friends at an Auburn barbecue restaurant. Many wore baseball hats with the word ''Coach'' that were distributed in the colors of both Auburn University and the University of Alabama. Tuberville is often just called coach instead of senator by those who work closely with him.

Speaking with reporters after his announcement, Tuberville didn't disclose many specifics about his plan to improve education other than an emphasis on K-12 schools. He said there should pressure on administrators to boost student improvement and to look at getting more money into schools. He praised the state's new school voucher program but said, "it can be better.''

''I think there's way too much emphasis on higher education. If you can't read and you can't write, you can't learn,'' Tuberville said.

Tuberville harnessed fame from his college coaching days to win election to the U.S. Senate in 2020, casting himself as a political outsider closely aligned with President Donald Trump. ''God sent us Donald Trump,'' Tuberville said during his campaign. In the 2020 Republican primary, Tuberville defeated former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who held the Senate seat for two decades before resigning to become Trump's attorney general in 2017. Months later, Tuberville defeated incumbent Doug Jones, who had been the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in decades.

During his time in the Senate, Tuberville has continued to align himself closely with Trump. In 2023, he maintained a monthslong blockade on military promotions over his opposition to a Pentagon policy that provided travel funds and support for troops and their dependents who seek abortions but are based in states where they are now illegal.

Jones said that his former opponent has been an ''embarrassment'' for the state, for his blockage on military promotions and verbal fumbles.

''He has been a failed U.S. senator. No one can point to a single thing in the four-plus years that he has been in office that he was able to accomplish for the state or the country. On the other hand, he has embarrassed the state,'' Jones said.

Bill Armistead, the former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said Tuberville's presence will make other would-be candidates ''think twice'' about jumping in the gubernatorial race.

''I would be very surprised if Senator Tuberville is not elected governor of the state of Alabama,'' Armistead said.

Tuberville, a native of Arkansas, was the head football coach at Auburn from 1999 to 2008, where he led the team to eight consecutive bowl appearances and one Southeastern Conference championship. He also served as head coach at Mississippi, Texas Tech and the University of Cincinnati, retiring in 2016.

Tuberville faced questions about his residency in the 2020 Senate race, when his political opponents referred to him as a ''Florida man'' or a ''tourist in Alabama'' as they questioned if he lived in the state.

There is a higher residency requirement for governor. The Alabama Constitution requires that governors must have been ''resident citizens of this state at least seven years next before the date of their election.''

Property tax records show he owns a $270,000 home in Auburn, where he claims a homestead exemption, and a $4 million beach home in Walton County, Florida.

Voting records show that Tuberville switched his voter registration from Florida to Alabama in 2019. He and his wife last voted in Florida on Nov. 6, 2018.

Randy Kelley, chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said they intend to ''challenge his residency in the courts.''

Tuberville said he meets the residency requirements.

''They've been bringing that up. It won't be a problem. ... A lot of other people have houses down there (Florida), but this is my home,'' he said of Auburn.