MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After thousands of miles traveled and countless campaign events, Alabama’s gubernatorial nominees are making their closing arguments to voters in the last few days of the race.
Democrat and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and Republican and current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville have laid out their policy positions on just about every issue under the sun on social media, in television ads, at campaign events and during interviews.
Jones has held nearly two dozen town halls across the state and answered viewer questions live on social media on most Sundays. Tuberville, during the U.S. Senate’s recesses, has traveled across the state to speak at county GOP meetings and a mostly friendly circuit of business groups and trade organizations.
The last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, Jones is fighting an uphill battle running for governor in a state President Donald Trump won by more than 30 points in 2024. He has brought in high-profile national Democrats, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Georgia State Rep. Stacey Abrams to boost his campaign and encourage turnout.
The Democrat has preached the same message at every turn: making Montgomery more responsive to the people of Alabama, putting a one-year moratorium on data centers, establishing a state-run lottery and expanding Medicaid.
Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach who unseated Jones from the Senate in his first run public office, has stuck to a conservative playbook of calling for tax cuts, supporting school choice and, cracking down on crime making state government more efficient. He has go so far as to say he would bring about “DOGE” in Montgomery and that he “won’t hesitate” to call in the National Guard to address crime in Alabama’s cities.
The Republican also has the expressed support of Trump, who is still viewed favorably by just short of a majority of Alabamians despite a downturn in popularity nationwide. Tuberville appeared alongside Trump during the president’s visit to Mobile in early October.
Though Tuberville is the projected favorite, a recent poll from Democratic firm Chism Strategies showed the race within the margin of error. A Cygnal poll commissioned by Alabama Daily News and Gray Telvision on Oct. 16 and 17 had Tuberville with an 11-point lead with 9% undecided.
Jones’ final pitch
Speaking from inside his campaign bus, Jones told Alabama Daily News his campaign has been about “building a house with a crowded table” where “everyone has a voice.”
The Democrat said he’s focused on protecting public education, encouraging workforce development, putting guardrails on data centers and improving healthcare options and affordability.
Jones said he wants to continue the “listening” he has done on the campaign trail and conduct town halls as governor to hear from Alabamians and bring that information back to the Legislature to inform policy decisions.
“I represent all the people of Alabama,” Jones said. “(Tuberville) just talks about that now, but he has been a very divisive U.S. senator. He’s been a very divisive candidate. He really pits one group against another, he has said some very, very derogatory things about people who live in the state, who work in the state, who contribute to the state, and that’s an important piece of this because I think the governor sets a tone and an image for the state, and the image that we see coming from him is one of just tough talk and divisiveness. That has not been my history.”
The Tuberville campaign did not respond to a request for comment about Jones’ accusation.
If elected as governor, Jones would likely serve as a foil to another Republican supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature, making it more difficult to achieve the policy promises he’s campaigned on. But Jones said he would want to work in a bi-partisan way.
“I’ll do exactly what I did in the United States Senate, and that is to reach across the aisle, reach into Democrats, reach into Republicans,” Jones said. “Let’s try to find common ground. I mean, people were elected to serve the people of the state of Alabama and the people in their respective districts. Let’s talk about how we can do that together. Instead of just fighting each other constantly, let’s sit down and talk.”
In a quick dive into issues less often discussed on the campaign trail, Jones said he would “shine a light” on the Alabama Department of Corrections and Alabama’s parole system through independent audits, mentioning the ballooning cost and construction delay for the new prison in Elmore County.
Jones also said Alabama should shut down all Flock cameras until the state can “figure out what’s going on with them” in a similar approach to what he recommends for data centers.
“Everybody has seen the potential abuses. Those things have some opportunities to help law enforcement,” Jones said. “But for state highways, I think we need to shut those things down right now. I don’t want to see Alabama as a surveillance state.”
Pausing the cameras used by law enforcement would give the state a chance to work with local police chiefs and sheriffs to put up guardrails, Jones said.
Jones, who called the federal DOGE cuts a “disaster,” said his approach to the state’s bureaucracy would be to hire “the best and the brightest” to lead state agencies. Those agency heads could then do internal work to make sure the state government works efficiently, he said.
“We’re going to have an administration in which the executive branch of government works together with each other to aid and assist each other because that’s how we aid and assist the people of Alabama,” Jones said. “That may mean that some things get consolidated, but not necessarily. We want to do it the right way. We want to make sure that people understand that state employees mean something to this state.”
The Democrat said it all comes down to the candidates’ records and encouraged voters “to do their homework,” citing “misinformation” about his policy positions.
“If people will do the research, look at our respective positions, not just the 30-second TV ads that are chock full of lies coming from him and others, I think they’ll see that we have a plan and a proposal that will help change Alabama for the better and get more people engaged in the political process and really help lift all boats in Alabama, not just the wealthiest boats in Alabama,” Jones said.
Tuberville’s closing message
The Tuberville campaign did not make the senator available to Alabama Daily News for an interview.
The Republican has spent much of the campaign headlining events hosted by county GOP chapters, which are often closed to members of the press.
Tuberville laid out his agenda last week in an extensive 22-page memo titled “Back to Basics: The Golden Age Playbook.”
“For nearly 40 years, I built teams for a living. For the last six, I’ve represented Alabama in the United States Senate. Both jobs taught me the same thing. You win by getting the basics right,” the former Auburn University football coach wrote in a social media post announcing the playbook.
The memo lays out seven priorities for a Tuberville administration, including addressing affordability and healthcare as well as shrinking government and cutting taxes. The “book” begins with a section about “good jobs,” which Tuberville calls the priority that matters most.
“President Trump says America’s golden age has begun. Alabama should lead it,” Tuberville wrote. “Back to Basics means state government does the few jobs that truly belong to it and does them well. Keep you safe. Teach your children. Keep the lights on and the roads open. Spend your money like it’s yours. Then get out of the way.”
Echoing the same priorities, Tuberville began airing a closing ad last week to make his final pitch to voters. The Republican centers his message around the two candidates’ policy differences in the 30-second video.
“My opponent will grow government and raise your taxes – we’ll cut your taxes and make Montgomery live on a budget like you do,” Tuberville says into the camera. “He wants to end school choice – I’ll expand it so every parent gets a say. He supports sanctuary cities and defunding the police – I’m going to double Alabama’s state troopers to keep your family safe. That’s the difference. I’m Tommy Tuberville, and I’d be honored to have your vote.”
In an interview with Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal, Tuberville said he supports school choice, including the CHOOSE Act, which allows families to access up to $7,000 to send a child to a different school including private school. But Tuberville said the law should have greater accountability for the use of those tax dollars.
“They should be accredited,” Tuberville said of the schools accepting CHOOSE Act dollars. “Obviously, everybody’s got to be held accountable,” he said.
Tuberville’s views on data centers has evolved over the course of the campaign. He blamed that on selective reporting and clarified that he likes the potential tax revenue that the projects generate but locals should have greater control.
“I’m for data centers, but I’m also for mayors and city council members and county commissioners making their own decisions,” he said on the show.
When asked about his “DOGE” plans, Tuberville said he means that more as a reorganization rather than a massive personnel cut to state government.
“We’re not looking to come in here and cut a bunch of people out,” Tuberville said. “We want to make sure people are in the right spot.”
The general election is Tuesday. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.