WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is running for governor of Alabama.
After months of speculation, Tuberville announced he will enter the race to succeed Gov. Kay Ivey during an appearance on Fox News’ Will Cain Show.
Standing in a barbecue restaurant in Auburn surrounded by family and supporters, Tuberville made his widely anticipated gubernatorial run official.
“I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama,” Tuberville said.
Within hours of his announcement, Tuberville faced public questions about where he lives. The Alabama Democratic Party announced Tuesday it will challenge his residency in court.
Tuberville posted on X this afternoon from a new handle, “CoachForGov” and an accompanying profile picture said “Coach Tuberville for Governor.”
Tune in at 3pm CT🇺🇸 https://t.co/Z6UASDQP8C
— Tommy Tuberville (@CoachForGov) May 27, 2025
Tuberville is opting to run to become Alabama’s top leader instead of pursuing a second term in the U.S. Senate.
Tuberville in 2020 parlayed his football fame into a U.S. Senate run. He led a crowded Republican field and defeated former U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions with 60% of the vote. He then beat Democrat Sen. Doug Jones with 60% of the vote in the 2020 general election.
His campaign website also went live Tuesday afternoon. It features a quote from President Donald Trump calling Tuberville “a great champion and man of courage.”
The website highlights Tuberville’s campaign priorities, including “fighting back against woke ideology,” bringing jobs to Alabama, and improving education.
“We’re going to grow Alabama,” Tuberville said during his announcement. “We’re going to bring manufacturing to this state. We’re going to stop this illegal immigration. We’re going to make education better again.”
In the minority during his first years in Washington, Tuberville still made his name known, digging in for months in 2023 to block military promotion confirmations in protest over U.S. Department of Defense abortion travel policy, to the frustration of many of his Senate colleagues.
Tuberville has always been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, a relationship that will only help his gubernatorial bid, as will decades of name recognition and an expected deep war chest. Tuberville said Trump was “fully supportive” of his run.
Tuberville said he will be campaigning on the weekends as he finishes his term in the Senate.
Tuberville first began hinting at a gubernatorial run early this year. Even before an official announcement, the former Auburn football coach turned politician has essentially cleared the field of potential GOP competitors. The assumed largest, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, announced last week he won’t run in 2026. Term limited, Ainsworth will instead focus on his family and private business, for now.
Tuberville has a Florida beach home and his residency has again been in the spotlight in the lead up to his announcement. The Alabama Constitution requires candidates to be “resident citizens of this state at least seven years next before the date of their election.”
Alabama Daily News first reported the Tubervilles have had a homestead exemption on their home on Cherry Street in Auburn since 2018.
Records show the home was purchased in the name of Suzanne Tuberville, the senator’s wife, and their son, Tucker Thomas Tuberville. The senator’s name was recently added, and the son’s removed, according to online records.
The Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley said the homestead exemption won’t be enough to prove he meets the seven-year residency requirement for governor.
“Claiming his son’s house as a homestead exemption while all travel receipts, voting, and living take place in Florida simply doesn’t cut it,” Kelley said in a statement. “We intend to challenge his residency in the courts. If residency is no longer a requirement to run for office in the state of Alabama, that opens the doors for Democrats as well.”
The Tubervilles own two properties in Walton County on the Florida panhandle, according to records from the county appraiser’s office. Neither of those properties has a homestead exemption on them.
Alabama Daily News confirmed that Tuberville voted in the November 2018 general election in Florida while he had the homestead exemption on his Auburn house. The Alabama Secretary of State confirmed Tuberville registered to vote in the state in March 2019 and voted in Alabama for the 2020 election cycle.
Tuberville received a new endorsement for his gubernatorial bid Tuesday from one of the state’s trade associations, the Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association of Alabama.
“Tommy Tuberville understands the challenges facing Alabama’s energy and retail sectors, and he is committed to supporting policies that promote economic growth, protect small businesses, and ensure a reliable fuel supply across the state,” Rex Jones, P&CMA Board of Directors chair, said in a statement.
The Washington, D.C.-based conservative group Club for Growth endorsed Tuberville last week ahead of his official announcement.
Statewide candidates could start fundraising on May 19, a year before Alabama’s primary election. The general election is November 3, 2026.
Tuberville running for governor leaves his U.S. Senate seat open in 2026. No Republican candidates have officially entered the Senate race, waiting for Tuberville’s announced decision. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall opted out late last year of running for governor and is considering a Senate bid.
Former Trump voter turned critic Kyle Sweetser announced he was running for Senate as a Democrat in April.
This story will be updated.