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Tuberville vows interstate expansion as Alabama governor race heats up
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala.: With the Alabama General Election less than three weeks away, Sen. Tommy Tuberville kicked off a series of appearances across North
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Republican · 3 November 2026
Tommy Tuberville
United States Senator from Alabama (since 2021)
Tommy Tuberville, a former college football head coach who has represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate since 2021, is the Republican nominee for governor of Alabama in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Tommy Tuberville.
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Live News
Recent media coverage for Tommy Tuberville.
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Tuberville: Alabama has to vote Republican because Trump’s ‘not going to help Doug Jones’
Republican gubernatorial nominee Sen. Tommy Tuberville says Alabama’s relationship with President Donald Trump is one reason voters should elect him governor, arguing that Trump would not offer Democratic nominee Doug…
Al.com (Alabama News)
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Alabama Election Preview: Lottery Support Hits Familiar Obstacles
With both candidates supporting a much-discussed lottery, it remains to be seen which administration would be more favorable to greater gambling expansion.
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7 Things: Alabama political consultant warns on under-polling of Republicans, new data center approved, and more ...
2. Alabama’s governor’s race is a rematch between Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S.
Yellow Hammer NewsJones -
Manufacture Alabama makes last-minute endorsements of Wahl, Hill and…
Manufacture Alabama has also endorsed a handful of mainly Republican candidates in the state, including Tommy Tuberville for governor, Katherine Robertson for attorney general, Caroleene Dobson for secretary of state,…
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Fincher: State Supreme Court could rule Tuberville ineligible for governor’s seat: after the election
The Randolph Leader reports that Alabama Supreme Court could rule on Tommy Tuberville’s gubernatorial eligibility after the election.
More coverage 4
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AG Marshall places state agencies under attorney hiring freeze ‘until further notice’
The article discusses Alabama politics as the 2026 governor race unfolds. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is a key figure in the contest to succeed the term-limited governor.
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The Smoke Between Two States: Tennessee vs Alabama: Kickoff, TV, Cigar Tradition
The article discusses the Alabama gubernatorial race alongside Tennessee's, noting that both states are replacing term-limited Republican governors (Alabama’s Kay Ivey, Tennessee’s Bill Lee) with Republican nominees who…
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Doug Jones holds education town hall in Montgomery
Doug Jones held an education-focused town hall in Montgomery, Alabama. During the event, a teacher tearfully questioned how Jones would defend teachers accused of indoctrination, a criticism echoed by his Republican…
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Analysis | Wahl’s case shows why Alabama needs an eligibility process
The Alabama Supreme Court’s Oct. 9 ruling in the Tuberville residency case narrows opportunities to challenge Tommy Tuberville’s eligibility.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- September 18, 1954
- Birthplace
- Camden, Arkansas
- Education
- Harmony Grove High School (1972)
Southern State College, now Southern Arkansas University (B.S. in physical education, 1976)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Thomas Hawley Tuberville was born on September 18, 1954, in Camden, Arkansas, where he grew up as the son of Charles R. Tuberville Jr. and Olive Nell Tuberville (née Chambliss), who had three children. After graduating from Harmony Grove High School in 1972, he attended Southern State College (since renamed Southern Arkansas University), where he played football and golf, earning a B.S. in physical education in 1976.
Career
After assistant posts that included defensive coordinator at the University of Miami and Texas A&M University, Tuberville led the University of Mississippi football program from 1995 to 1998 and Auburn University's from 1999 to 2008.
Auburn finished 2004 at 13 and 0 with the Southeastern Conference title and a Sugar Bowl win, and five organizations named Tuberville national coach of the year.
He later took over at Texas Tech University (2010 to 2012) and the University of Cincinnati (2013 to 2016) and worked as a college football color analyst for ESPN in 2017.
In his first run for office, Tuberville sought the Republican nomination in 2020 to challenge Democratic Senator Doug Jones.
He led the March 3, 2020, primary with 33.4% of the vote to 31.6% for former Senator Jeff Sessions, won the nomination after a runoff, and defeated Jones in the general election, taking office in 2021.
Aligned with President Donald Trump, he joined a group of Republican senators voting to object to certification of the 2020 presidential result.
In 2023, protesting a Defense Department policy of reimbursing travel for service members seeking abortions, he held all promotions of senior military officers for 10 months, delaying more than 450 promotions.
2026 race
Tuberville initially planned to seek a second Senate term and later announced a campaign for governor, an office held by Republican Kay Ivey, who is term-limited. Following the primary elections of May 19, 2026, he is the Republican nominee, with an endorsement from Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth. His Democratic opponent on November 3, 2026, is Doug Jones, which makes the race a rematch of their 2020 Senate contest.