Tuberville to run for governor, leave Senate

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) announced Tuesday he is running for Alabama governor, launching a campaign website and creating an open GOP primary for his Senate seat. 

He made the decision official during an interview with Fox News after months of mulling over the gubernatorial bid. His campaign website went live earlier in the day. 

“I will announce that I will be the future governor of the great state of Alabama,” Tuberville told host Will Cain. “I’ve still got 18 months to go with President Trump to make America great again. We’ve got a lot of work to do. … But I’m doing this to help this country and to help the great state of Alabama.”

“I’m a football coach, I’m a leader, I’m a builder, I’m a recruiter, and we’re going to grow Alabama,” he continued. “I’ll be running every weekend, doing the things I need to do to make sure that I can get over the threshold and win this governor’s race, come back to Alabama and work with President Trump.”

Tuberville, a first-term senator and longtime college football coach, told The Hill in an interview that President Trump’s presence in Washington had weighed on his mind in terms of his future.

“Either way, I’m looking at, where I can help the people of Alabama the most? At the end of the day, a job’s a job,” he said about the decision. “It’s like coaching — I always looked at the job as what does it need? Can you help fix it? Can you make it better?”

“It’s a different level,” he said of the governorship. “Trump is sending more money and more power back to the states. It gives you a lot better advantage.” 

Chatter of a possible run has been percolating for months, including last month when a local Alabama outlet initially reported he would take the gubernatorial plunge.

Tuberville’s decision also comes after a roller-coaster tenure on Capitol Hill, especially during former President Biden’s four years in the White House.

The Alabama Republican’s most notable fight came throughout 2023, when he put a hold on all military promotions over the Pentagon’s policy allowing service members to be reimbursed for travel to receive abortion care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The battle lasted 10 months before he relented due to internal GOP pressure. 

However, the entire Biden presidency left a sour taste in his mouth and helped him decide to run for the Montgomery Statehouse. 

“Four years with the Biden administration will put you in the homeless shelter,” Tuberville said. “It was rough watching [Biden] run our country into the ground.”

The former Auburn University coach has been one of Trump’s top allies throughout his six years in the upper chamber, carrying over that standing into the president’s second term. 

Tuberville was the first Senate Republican to officially back Trump in his third presidential bid. He was also the first to also appear at the New York City courthouse during Trump’s hush money trial — a move that a number of Senate and House Republicans emulated in the following days and weeks.

Tuberville secured his single term in 2020 by handily defeating former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was running for his old seat, in the primary and former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) in the general election. 

The GOP senator, 70, noted he did give thought to seeking a second term but decided a run for the governorship was a better use of his time.

“Where can I help the most? Is it going to be here, or is it going to be back in the state? It’s the same kind of job, it’s just a different level of what you’re doing,” he said. “You’re focusing more on one of the 50 states than all 50.”

Among those backing his candidacy is the Club for Growth PAC, which rolled out its support for him last week.

“Coach Tuberville has been a steadfast leader for commonsense policy reforms in the United States Senate, and would champion fiscal responsibility, school freedom, and tax cuts in Montgomery,” said David McIntosh, the group’s president.

If his campaign is successful, Tuberville would replace Gov. Kay Ivey (R), who took office in 2017 and is the longest-serving governor in the nation. She is term-limited.

His run will also spawn what could be a crowded GOP primary to nab his seat. 

Among those considered possible contenders for the seat are Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth (R), Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R), Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), former Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.) and state Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R), among others.

Updated at 4:28 p.m. EDT