Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville Announces Gubernatorial Campaign

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville will run for Alabama governor in 2026. He will look to follow fellow Republican, Gov. Kay Ivey, who is ineligible to run for a third term.

The decision has been anticipated for a while, with Tuberville largely clearing the GOP field even before his official announcement. Last week, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth said he would not run. 

The Republican nominee will be heavily favored in this deep red state. Alabama last elected a Democratic governor in 1998. Ivey was reelected by a 67% to 29% margin over her Democratic challenger in 2022.

The move creates an open Senate seat, with a large field expected to compete for the Republican nomination. Alabama's 2026 primary is scheduled for May 19, with runoffs, where necessary, on June 16. (Visit our new 2026 Primary Calendar)

Tuberville is the 6th Senator to forego running for reelection next year. He is the only one to run for another office. Also retiring are Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Tina Smith (D-MN).

There may be other Senators leading their states after the 2026 elections. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) has already launched his campaign. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has expressed interest in running. Neither of these Senate seats is up in 2026, so if one or both of these incumbents were unsuccessful in their pursuit, they would remain in the Senate.