Sen Tommy Tuberville announces 2026 run for Alabama governor

Tuberville officially launched a campaign website promoting his “conservative Alabama values.” The former Auburn University football coach and current US senator appeared on Fox News after announcing his candidacy, where he said he was running to “help this country and the great state of Alabama.”

"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. "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, who has been widely speculated as a likely candidate for the governorship, is expected to receive strong support from President Donald Trump. Tuberville has been a vocal supporter of Trump while serving in Congress, and a source familiar with the matter previously told Fox News that a Trump endorsement would be a “done deal” if Tuberville entered the race. On Tuesday, Tuberville confirmed Trump was “fully supportive” of his campaign.

With incumbent Republican Governor Kay Ivey term-limited, Tuberville enters the race as the early front-runner. Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, was was considered a potential candidate and successor to Ivey, recently announced he would not run for governor.

Tuberville’s decision to run will open up his US Senate seat, creating another contest in Alabama during the 2026 midterm elections. Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson announced on Wednesday that he would run for Tuberville’s Senate seat.