Sen. Tommy Tuberville Officially Enters 2026 Alabama Governor’s Race

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., signs paperwork to run for governor Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters in Hoover, Ala., as Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl looks on. (AP Photo/Kimberly Chandler)

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | State News

HOOVER, Ala. — U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has officially filed paperwork to run for governor of Alabama, formally beginning his campaign ahead of the 2026 election. Tuberville submitted his qualifying documents Monday morning at the Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Hoover.

“I want to make the lives of the people of this state better,” Tuberville said after filing. “If I thought that staying in the U.S. Senate would be best for Alabama, I would’ve stayed — but I think the best thing for Alabama is for me to come back.”

Tuberville emphasized economic growth as a central pillar of his campaign, saying that attracting new manufacturers to Alabama will be a top priority. He said achieving that goal will require improvements in infrastructure, education, and workforce readiness to make the state more appealing to residents and companies considering relocation.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters in Hoover, Ala. (Video from WZDX)

The senator also reiterated his stance on reducing government waste, fraud, and abuse — issues he has frequently discussed during his time in Washington, D.C. “You have a lot of different agencies here, and we want to make them all better,” Tuberville said. “We also want to make sure we save taxpayers’ money, use it wisely, and give it back to them.”

The former Auburn University football coach reflected on his path into public office, noting that he did not initially expect to pursue a political career, but said he is now ready to transition from the national to the state level. “It’s time to come home, put together a staff, and focus on the state of Alabama and the people here,” he said.

Questions have been raised by some regarding the state constitutional requirement that gubernatorial candidates must have resided in Alabama for at least seven years. Tuberville stated that the Alabama Republican Party has confirmed he meets the residency requirement.

The qualifying deadline for major party candidates is January 23.

Current candidates include:

Alabama Democratic Primary

• Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones

• Dr. Will Boyd, businessman and engineer

• JaMel Brown, pastor and talk show host

• Chad “Chig” Martin, business owner

Alabama Republican Primary

• Sen. Tommy Tuberville

• Ken McFeeters, former congressional candidate

The Weekly Ledger News will continue to follow developments in the 2026 governor’s race and provide updates as additional candidates qualify or campaign announcements are made.

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