Former Congressman Mo Brooks is leaving the door open for another possible Senate run in the 2026 election.
Since U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) announced his candidacy for Governor a little over a week ago, there has been speculation regarding a possible Brooks bid for the soon-to-be-open seat. In his last attempt to become a senator in 2022, Brooks lost to Katie Britt by a significant margin.
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On Thursday, Brooks discussed the possibility on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show.”
“I still think it’s improbable, but it’s more likely than it was a month or two ago,” Brooks said. “What happens with the economy, with our foreign affairs, and our deficit and debt?”
According to a recent poll, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is leading the field of potential candidates in the upcoming U.S. Senate election.
Brooks also spoke about Auburn men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl potentially entering the race.
“I think there’s a significantly better chance that I would run for the Senate than Bruce Pearl runs for the Senate,” he argued. “And here’s why, let’s say Bruce Pearl wants to qualify as a Republican. Okay, he’s got a big risk that the steering committee, or perhaps the Alabama State Executive Committee, would override the steering committee if the steering committee went hypocritical and suddenly allowed Bruce Pearl on the ballot, when consistently we have prevented people who have contributed to Democratic candidates to be on the ballot.”
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According to the Alabama Republican Party Bylaws, those who have financially contributed to candidates of another political party in the last six years would be restricted from having ballot access.
This would be a major problem for the basketball coach, given his $1,000 contribution to the Committee to Elect Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during the 2024 election cycle. He also contributed $1,000 to U.S. Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.).
Brooks added that it would also be risky for Pearl’s coaching career.
“He’s making millions of dollars as the Auburn coach,” he said. “He probably would have to resign and quit being Auburn’s coach if he runs for the Senate, because the Senate race is in the middle of most of the college basketball season.”
“So is he going to resign as coach over at Auburn University on the chance that a bunch of political individuals on the state steering committee, the GOP, or the executive committee as a whole, is going to allow him to run as a Republican when we have pretty consistently barred other individuals and their circumstances from being on the ballot?”
“I just don’t see him risking that this time next year.”
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 X @Yaffee
