Sen. Tuberville to Announce Whether He'll Run for Alabama Governor

After coaching college football, Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020. He is a staunch supporter of President Trump.

Then-head coach Tommy Tuberville of the Cincinnati Bearcats at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., on Nov, 16, 2013. Rich Schultz /Getty Images

WASHINGTON—Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said he will announce on April 30 whether he will run for governor of Alabama.

“End of the month,” he said when asked by The Epoch Times when he will announce.

He said he is undecided.

Alabama-based Yellowhammer News reported on April 24 that Tuberville has decided to run.

“An official campaign announcement is imminent in the coming weeks, but latest reports offer insight into a finalized decision by Tuberville, who has been privately discussing jumping into the 2026 gubernatorial race for quite some time,” according to the report.

Tuberville denied the reporting.

“While I appreciate all the interest, Suzanne and I are still praying about how to best serve the people of Alabama. When I have an official announcement about my future, you'll hear it directly from me,” he posted on X on April 24.

Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020, defeating former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), and is up for reelection in 2026. He previously was a prominent college football coach, leading the programs at Auburn University, the University of Mississippi, Texas Tech University, and the University of Cincinnati.

During his time in the Senate, Tuberville has been known for holding up the promotions of hundreds of military members in protest of the Biden administration’s policy of funding travel for women service members to get abortions. He eventually relented and the Pentagon policy remained in place. It was reversed in January.

He is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump.

“A+,” he told Fox Business anchor Larry Kudlow when asked what grade he would give the president on the first 100 days of his second term.

“What else can he do, Larry? They left it in a total mess. I was up here for four years of Joe Biden,“ he continued. ”They did not do one thing for the American people or for this country. They actually tried to destroy it, and everything went down.

“Now, President Trump has got foreign wars, he’s got deportations, the border, tax cuts. He’s trying to save the economy. What a total disaster the Democrats created.”

If Tuberville runs for governor, the Republican primary for Senate could include the following candidates: Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), and Dale Strong (R-Ala.).

Former Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.) told The Epoch Times he is considering running for Tuberville’s seat but it would depend on what the senator decides.

“We are looking at it but first we need to see what Tuberville does,” he said in a text message.

Democrat Kyle Sweetser, a Mobile businessman, announced April 16 that he'll run for Tuberville’s Senate seat, according to Alabama news site AL.com.

If Tuberville runs for governor, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who was first elected in 2022, would become Alabama’s senior senator.