The leader of Alabama’s Republican Party is skeptical that there will be any kind of successful effort to block a potential gubernatorial bid by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) based on a residency issue.
According to multiple reports, Tuberville has been showing a strong interest in running for Governor of Alabama in 2026 instead of seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate.
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State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) recently suggested that Tuberville might not be eligible to run for governor because of state law that requires candidates be residents for seven years, and that the requirements to seek the office, is far more stringent than the one-day rule to run for U.S. Senate.
“So, as far as governor, you know, the first thing, we still got a question, because owning a house in Alabama is not enough,” Givhan said. “I mean, you gotta’ live here seven years. And that’s, you know, you don’t have to live here a day to run for U.S. Senate. So, that’s going to be a hurdle.”
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Wahl recently joined “The Jeff Poor Show” on FM Talk 106.5 to give his thoughts on a potential Tuberville campaign.
“[H]e has been serving the people of Alabama in the U.S. Senate for six, it will be six years by the time this election comes up, Wahl said. “And he was in state for well over a year before that campaigning for the position. And so, I don’t see how there’s any basis right now for a challenge on residency. Of course, the specifics have to be looked at.”
Wahl argued that it’s not the job of the party to be used as a weapon by one candidate over another in a primary.
“You know, this is something that the party has a process of someone to do a ballot challenge. What I don’t want to see is the party put in a position where they’re trying to be used as a tool on any side,” he said. “Like, we’re the referees. This is the primary. This is where the people are our Republican voters, the people of Alabama will vote and decide. And as much as possible, all the Republican Party should do is be a referee in that process and try to help make sure that our voters have access to information, make sure they have qualified good candidates that they can choose from in our primary process. And that’s the goal of the party here.”
Wahl said the ultimate question remains whether or not he will actually run.
“I think it’s going to be to be interesting to see what happens,” he said, “but I think the big question is, does Tuberville actually pull the trigger and run for governor, more than the whether he’s qualified or not?”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
