Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville plans to launch a gubernatorial bid in his home state of Alabama for next year’s election, people familiar with his plans told the Associated Press.
The Context
Tuberville, a former college football coach, has been serving as the senior U.S. senator from Alabama since 2021. If he runs for governor next year, it will open up a seat in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently hold a six-seat majority.
What To Know
Two people who have discussed Tuberville’s plans with him told AP they expect the Alabama senator to announce his candidacy for the 2026 governor’s race soon.
Tuberville did not confirm his plans to AP but told the outlet he plans to announce his final decision on Tuesday.
“It was a hard decision,” he said.
Tuberville ran an ultra-conservative, pro-Trump Senate campaign and has been one of President Donald Trump‘s most loyal backers while serving in the Senate.
He launched his 2020 campaign with a message similar to Trump’s, casting himself as a political outsider who would shake up Beltway politics. Tuberville was also propelled in part by his name recognition in the state given the nine years he spent as the head coach of the Auburn University football team.
Tuberville ultimately unseated Doug Jones, the incumbent senator from Alabama and the first Democrat to represent the state in the Senate in decades.
Since being in the Senate, Tuberville has given Trump his full-throated support on issues across the spectrum, including those that have been unpopular with the public.
When the president announced sweeping tariffs last month that threw global markets into a tailspin and strained the U.S.’s trade relationships with its closest allies, Tuberville touted Trump as a brilliant dealmaker.
“The president is a master negotiator—and if there’s one thing he understands, it’s how to create leverage,” Tuberville wrote in an opinion piece for Newsweek.
“The days of America getting ripped off by bad trade deals are over,” the Alabama senator wrote. “President Trump is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to usher in the golden age of the American economy.”
What People Are Saying
Club for Growth PAC endorsed Tuberville in the governor’s race this week—if he runs—and the PAC’s President David McIntosh said: “Coach Tuberville has been a steadfast leader for commonsense policy reforms in the United States Senate, and would champion fiscal responsibility, school freedom, and tax cuts in Montgomery.”
What Happens Next
Tuberville will announce his final decision on Tuesday, according to AP.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
Update 5/22/25 8:19 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.
The post GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville Plans to Launch Alabama Gubernatorial Bid appeared first on Newsweek.
