WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he will announce his decision about entering the Alabama governor’s race as early as Tuesday.
Tuberville told Alabama Daily News that he has made up his mind about whether or not he will run to be Alabama’s next governor in 2026, but stopped short of directly saying what that decision is.
“We’ll make some kind of announcement one way or another next week,” Tuberville told ADN. “Stay tuned.”
The field has recently cleared in his favor. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announced he would not seek the governor’s office Wednesday morning. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Pate also told Alabama Daily News Wednesday he will not run for governor, but instead is considering a run for lieutenant governor. Current Gov. Kay Ivey is term-limited.
Tuberville told Alabama Daily News there will be an in-person event for his announcement. Congress will be on recess next week.
With Tuberville’s expected announcement, questions over his ability to meet the state’s seven-year residency requirements for governor are expected to grow. Tuberville remains confident he meets the requirements laid out in the Alabama Constitution. Records obtained by Alabama Daily News show he has had a homestead exemption on his Auburn home since 2018, which could be one factor used to determine residency in the race.
“It’s amazing how people even get interested in that,” Tuberville said.
Even without an official announcement, Tuberville scored his first endorsement Wednesday from the Washington, D.C.-based conservative group Club for Growth.
“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,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a written statement. “Coach is the obvious choice to lead Alabama as the state’s next Governor, and we are proud to endorse him.”
Club eventually endorsed Tommy Tuberville in the 2020 primary runoff against Jeff Sessions. Club is known for aggressively playing in primaries and their benefit comes not just from supporting their preferred candidate, but attacking the others. Club attacked Republican Bradley Byrne in the 2020 GOP Senate primary race.
In 2024, Club for Growth Action and its affiliated Super PACs invested $163 million in races across the country.
With the May 19, 2026 primary elections one year away, candidates for state office can legally start fundraising this week.