Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced he is running for governor of Alabama in 2026, leaving yet another open Senate seat to be filled in next year’s midterms.
The launched his campaign website Tuesday afternoon, Politico first reported, but the news has been expected since the Alabama Republican reportedly told donors his gubernatorial plans during Easter recess.
The decision has been a long time coming as Tuberville was considering running for governor of Alabama prior to the launch of his Senate bid in 2019. Alabama’s Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth was seen as a potential opponent to Tuberville, but recently said he doesn’t have any interest in the Senate, nor the governor’s mansion. The new suspected power player to run for Tuberville’s seat in Congress is Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, but he has said “decisions will be made” after Tuberville announces his intentions for 2026.
Tuberville is the latest Senator to announce a gubernatorial bid following Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet’s announcement in April as well as rumors swirling around a possible gubernatorial run from Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
However, Bennet’s Senate term ends in January 2029 and Blackburn’s in January 2031, meaning if they were elected to the governor’s mansion in 2026, they would both get the opportunity to appoint someone to replace them in Congress. Tuberville’s term ends in 2026, giving Alabamans the chance to vote for a new Senator in a special election if he wins the race.
Nicole Silverio contributed to this report
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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