Tommy Tuberville announces bid as governor of Alabama

senator Tommy TubervilleIt is an Alabama Republican who rose in the 2026 election and announced Tuesday that he is seeking the state's governor's mansion after a term in the Senate.

Tuberville launched the website Coachforgovernor.com on Tuesday.

Tuberville, 70, was elected to the Senate in 2020. A former Auburn football coach who has never held public office before coming to the Senate, is a strong ally of President Trump and has served as a staunch defender of Mr. Trump in the House of Lords.

In the 2020 Senate game, Tuberville defeated Democratic Senator Doug Jones, to regress for Republicans after Jones became the first Democrat to be elected the Alabama Senate within 25 years. Trump recognized Tuberville's ruling against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had previously served for two decades and left the Senate to serve in the first Trump administration.

Senator speaks to the media after weekly policy lunch on Capitol Hill
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks at a press conference after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 4, 2025. Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images

During the Biden administration, Tuberville delayed the promotion of hundreds of officers in 2023 in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy. After 10 months of blocking, the Senate approved a large number of nominations Tuberville gave up most of his holdings Under pressure from his Republican colleagues, there was no change in policies to change courses.

The Alabama Republican announcement Tuesday was as other senators are pursuing a governor bid or expressing interest in leaving Washington to lead its state in recent months. Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennett Announce He ran for governor in April, Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said she was also considering bidding to the governor. Former Senator Mike Braun also chose to leave the Senate after winning a 2024 bid for Indiana governor. Developments ignore more traditional advances from the governor’s mansion to the Senate. Mark Warner of Virginia, John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Rick Scott of Florida are all governors, and former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin was also governor before serving in the Senate.

The race of Alabama governor will determine who will inherit the Republicans’ term of office.

Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a political journalist at CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.