With Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s announcement Wednesday morning that he will not run for governor, attention turns to Sen. Tommy Tuberville for what will be a pivotal decision for Alabama’s 2026 election.
Tuberville has said for months he might run for governor instead of seeking a second term in the Senate.
News outlets have reported that he has told supporters he will run for governor.
But the senator has not announced a decision. He said in late April that he and his wife, Suzanne, were praying about it.
Asked for an update in the wake of Ainsworth’s announcement today, a spokeswoman for Tuberville pointed AL.com to a post Wednesday morning by a senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News.
That report states Tuberville will announce when the Senate is in recess for Memorial Day, which is from Saturday May 24-Monday June 1, according to the Senate calendar.
Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020, the first run for public office for the former Auburn University football coach.
The senator is a close ally of President Trump.
Read more: Alabama political heavyweights gear up to battle for Tuberville’s Senate seat
If Tuberville opts to run for governor, that will create an open seat for the U.S. Senate.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has said he might consider the Senate race.
Other possible candidates for Senate include Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, former Secretary of State John Merrill, former Congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson, and former Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis.