U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is running for Governor of Alabama in 2026, according to reports confirmed by Yellowhammer News.
Back in state while Congress is in recess, Tuberville told a group of donors at a private event on Wednesday night that his mind is officially made up. Rather than seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate, he is ready to run his next race in Alabama, and serve the people of the state in Montgomery instead of Washington.
An official campaign announcement is imminent in the coming weeks, but latest reports offer insight into a finalized decision by Tuberville, who has been privately discussing jumping into the 2026 gubernatorial race for quite some time.
Tuberville was interested first in running for governor during the 2018 election cycle, but decided against it when Kay Ivey chose to run for the office she constitutionally stepped into following Robert Bentley’s resignation in 2017.
The last time Tuberville was on a statewide ballot in Alabama, he demolished former incumbent and Democrat U.S. Senator Doug Jones in the November 2020 general election with 60.2% of the vote. He defeated former U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions earlier that year in a GOP run-off election by an even higher margin.
Tuberville recently reported having $628,327.28 cash on hand in his FEC war chest as of Q1 this year, which can be purposed toward his campaign for Governor in 2026. With Tuberville’s decision to run for governor, his U.S. Senate seat will also become open.
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The Alabama Republican Party primary election will be held Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Update 3:51 p.m. — Tuberville posted a statement from his campaign channels saying any official announcement is still pending as “Suzanne and I are still praying” about the decision. Also updated to clarify under Alabama FCPA law, campaign committees are allowed to transfer money from one principal campaign committee if they are the same person.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
