Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville won Alabama's GOP primary for governor on Tuesday, positioning himself as the overwhelming favorite in a state that hasn't backed a Democrat for statewide office in over two decades.
The former college football coach's victory sets up his departure from the Senate after a single term. Tuberville first won that seat in 2020 with backing from then-candidate Donald Trump, defeating former attorney general Jeff Sessions in a bitter primary fight rooted in Trump's lingering anger over Sessions' appointment of a special counsel to investigate the 2016 campaign.
Trump renewed his support Monday, posting on social media that he was "honored" to endorse Tuberville again. The senator's voting record in Washington has tracked closely with Trump's priorities, cementing their alliance ahead of the governor's race.
Gov. Kay Ivey, the Republican term-limited incumbent, will step down this year. The state's heavily Republican lean makes the general election largely academic. Trump won Alabama by 30 points in 2024, and no Democrat has held the governor's office since 1998.
Tuberville's Senate exit has already triggered a scramble among Republicans eyeing his safe red seat. Trump has endorsed Rep. Barry Moore, who has served in the House since 2021, to succeed him in that race.
On the Democratic side, former Sen. Doug Jones won the primary for governor. Jones pulled off a stunning 2017 special election victory before losing his seat to Tuberville in 2020. The rematch will define the general election battle, though Democrats face massive structural disadvantages in ruby-red Alabama.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Tuberville's leap to the governor's mansion is almost certain, but watching him exit Washington for Montgomery raises questions about how a Trump-aligned senator with a sparse legislative record performs in a state executive role that demands more than just party loyalty."
Comments