GOP US Sen. Tommy Tuberville is expected to announce run for Alabama governor, associates say

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who entered authorities aft retiring arsenic a assemblage shot coach, plans to tally for politician of Alabama successful 2026, according to radical acquainted with his plans.

Two radical who person spoken with Tuberville astir his plans said Thursday they expect him to denote a gubernatorial bid. They spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that were not authorized to speech astir a campaign.

Tuberville did not corroborate the plans Thursday but told The Associated Press helium intends to denote a determination connected Tuesday.

“It was a hard decision,” Tuberville said.

Tuberville aligned himself intimately with President Donald Trump some successful his 2000 Senate run and during his Senate term. “God sent america Donald Trump,” Tuberville said during his campaign.

Tuberville harnessed fame from his assemblage coaching days and benefited from a Trump endorsement, casting himself arsenic a governmental outsider, to triumph election.

In the 2020 Republican primary, helium defeated erstwhile U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who held the Senate spot for 2 decades earlier resigning to go Trump’s lawyer wide successful 2017. Months later, Tuberville d efeated incumbent Doug Jones, who had been the archetypal Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate successful decades.

Tuberville is expected to beryllium a formidable introduction successful the governor’s race. Two-term Republican Gov. Kay Ivey cannot tally again due to the fact that of word limits.

Club for Growth PAC this week endorsed Tuberville successful the governor’s contention “should helium denote his candidacy.”

“Coach Tuberville has been a steadfast person for commonsense argumentation reforms successful the United States Senate, and would champion fiscal responsibility, schoolhouse freedom, and taxation cuts successful Montgomery,” said Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh.

During his clip successful the Senate, Tuberville has continued to align himself intimately with Trump. In 2023, helium maintained a monthslong blockade connected subject promotions implicit his absorption to a Pentagon policy that provided question funds and enactment for troops and their dependents who question abortions but are based successful states wherever they are present illegal.

A autochthonal of Arkansas, Tuberville was the caput shot manager astatine Auburn from 1999 to 2008. He retired from coaching successful 2016 aft leaving the University of Cincinnati. He is sometimes referred to arsenic “Coach” alternatively of “senator” by those that enactment with him.

Tuberville faced questions astir his residency successful the 2020 Senate race, wherever his governmental opponents referred to him arsenic a “Florida man” oregon a “tourist successful Alabama" arsenic they questioned if helium lived successful the state.

The Alabama Constitution requires that governors indispensable person been “resident citizens of this authorities astatine slightest 7 years adjacent earlier the day of their election.” Property taxation records amusement helium owns a $270,000 location successful Auburn, wherever helium claims a homestead exemption, and a $4 cardinal formation location successful Walton County, Florida.

Voting records amusement that Tuberville and his woman past voted successful Florida connected Nov. 6, 2018. He switched his elector registration to Alabama successful 2019.

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Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this study from Washington, D.C.

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