Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) launched his campaign for governor of Alabama, becoming the latest senator to snub national politics in favor of an executive post.
Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach who rode to national prominence as a fierce defender of President Donald Trump, published a campaign website and X account on Tuesday afternoon, with his formal announcement expected on Fox News’s Will Cain Show.
A spokesperson for Tuberville confirmed the authenticity of the website and account.
Tuberville is the second member of the Senate to pursue a gubernatorial run this year, following a decision by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) in April. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, is also giving “serious consideration” to the seat held by Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
Tuberville is considered the instant front-runner in a race to succeed Gov. Kay Ivey, who is term-limited.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth had been considering a challenge but instead opted not to run last week. Tuberville also drew preemptive support from the Club for Growth, a small-government outside group that poured tens of millions into the 2024 election cycle.
Alabama is ruby red, meaning the Republican nominee in next year’s May primary is likely to become governor.
Tuberville’s departure from the Senate had been anticipated for months. He’s been speaking with colleagues about a gubernatorial run since at least March, with his announcement timed to the Memorial Day recess.
He joins a growing number of senators who are deciding against another term in Washington. On top of Bennet, who is not up for reelection until 2028, four Senate Democrats are simply retiring from office altogether in 2026, as is Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) after a 17-year stint as GOP leader.
Tuberville, elected to the Senate in 2020, has been rewarded by the new Republican majority in Washington, receiving a March vote on his bill banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The legislation ultimately failed with no Democrats voting to overcome the Senate’s filibuster.
But he has faced backlash on Capitol Hill as well, mounting an unsuccessful blockade of military nominees in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy in 2023. Tuberville, 70, eventually dropped the blockade after 10 months and withering pressure from both parties.
In the last Congress, Mike Braun, now the governor of Indiana, cited frustration with the gridlock in Washington as he retired, acknowledging it was unusual for a senator to return to state office.
A governorship is often viewed as a springboard to national politics, with many politicians aspiring to finish their careers in the Senate. Yet congressional leadership has struggled to recruit governors in a spate of battleground states this cycle.
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On the GOP side, Gov. Chris Sununu and Brian Kemp have decided against Senate runs in New Hampshire and Georgia, respectively, while Democrats failed to convince Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan to compete for the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Ainsworth has said he is not interested in running for Tuberville’s Senate seat, but the vacancy could draw multiple Alabama Republicans. Among the names floated are John Merrill, the one-time secretary of state, and Kent Davis, the former Veterans Affairs commissioner.