Honestly, the Alabama race for governor is usually a foregone conclusion. You have a deeply red state, a dominant Republican party, and an incumbency that feels like it lasts forever. But 2026 is looking weird.
For the first time in a decade, the "Governor’s Mansion" sign in Montgomery is actually up for grabs because Kay Ivey is finally hitting her term limit. She's been the steady, "Mawmaw" figure of the state for nine years, but she can't run again. That has created a vacuum that is sucking in some of the biggest names in Southern politics.
If you think this is just going to be another boring walkover for the GOP, you haven't been paying attention to the names on the ballot.
The "Coach" vs. The "Senator"
When Tommy Tuberville announced he was trading his seat in the U.S. Senate for a shot at the Governor’s office, it sent a shockwave through the state house. He made it official on May 27, 2025.
Think about that.
Usually, people want to move up to D.C., not come back to Montgomery. But Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach, knows where his power base is. He’s already sitting on a massive war chest—we're talking about $9.1 million raised as of the end of 2025 with nearly $6.7 million in cash on hand.
His entry basically cleared the field of other heavy hitters.
- Will Ainsworth, the Lieutenant Governor who everyone assumed was the heir apparent, bowed out. He said he wanted to focus on his kids' final years of high school.
- Steve Marshall, the Attorney General, also passed. He’s now aiming for the Senate seat Tuberville is leaving behind.
Tuberville is leaning hard into his relationship with Donald Trump, who won Alabama by a massive margin in 2024. In this state, a Trump endorsement is basically political gold. If you're a Republican candidate and you don't have it, you're basically swimming upstream in a hurricane.
Can Doug Jones Pull an Upset?
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have a familiar face: Doug Jones.
You remember him. He’s the guy who pulled off the impossible in 2017 by beating Roy Moore for a Senate seat. Since then, Alabama Democrats have struggled to find a foothold, but Jones is by far their strongest play.
The numbers are tough, though. A Cygnal poll from late 2025 showed Tuberville leading Jones 53% to 34%. That’s a 19-point gap.
Jones is banking on the "moderate" middle. He’s raising decent money—about $588,000 so far—but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the Tuberville machine. He’s joined in the primary by others like Ja'Mel Brown, a pastor from Montgomery, and Chad "Chig" Martin, who runs a hemp business and wants to talk about decriminalizing natural medicine and bringing a lottery to the state.
What Actually Matters to Voters?
It’s easy to get lost in the personalities, but the "Alabama Poll" from January 2026 shows that people aren't actually obsessed with the "Coach vs. Senator" drama. They’re worried about their wallets.
80% of voters say the economy is their top concern.
Specifically, people are feeling the squeeze on:
- Inflation and cost of living (28.2%)
- Insurance and utility costs (12%)
- Grocery taxes (Alabama is one of the few states that still taxes food, though they've started a slow phase-out)
Kay Ivey used her final "State of the State" address on January 13, 2026, to push for a 2% pay raise for state employees and an expansion of the CHOOSE Act, which is basically a school voucher program. This "school choice" issue is going to be a massive battleground in the Alabama race for governor. Republicans love it; Democrats and rural school advocates are terrified it will gut funding for small-town public schools.
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The Gambling Elephant in the Room
Then there’s the lottery. Alabama is an island. We are surrounded by states where you can buy a Powerball ticket or sit at a blackjack table. Every year, millions of Alabama dollars flow across the border to Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Candidates like Ja’Mel Brown and Chad Martin are screaming about this. They want a lottery to fund education. It’s a winning issue with voters, but it always seems to die in the legislature because of infighting over who gets to control the "electronic gaming" machines. Whoever wins this race will have to finally settle the gambling debate that has haunted Montgomery for thirty years.
The Timeline You Need to Know
If you're planning to vote, don't miss these dates. Alabama moves fast once the new year hits.
- January 23, 2026: The absolute deadline for candidates to file.
- May 19, 2026: The Primary Election. This is where the real fight happens for the GOP.
- June 16, 2026: Primary Runoff (if nobody gets over 50%).
- November 3, 2026: The General Election.
Actionable Steps for Alabama Voters
The 2026 cycle isn't just a "show up and pick a name" situation. The shift in leadership from Ivey to a new administration will change the state's direction for the next eight years.
Verify your registration status. Even if you've lived in the same house for a decade, check the Secretary of State's website. Alabama has been active in "cleaning" voter rolls lately.
Watch the Primary, not just the General. In Alabama, the Republican primary is often the de facto election. If you wait until November to care, the most important decisions might have already been made in May.
Follow the money. You can use the Alabama FCPA (Fair Campaign Practices Act) database to see who is funding these campaigns. If a candidate is backed by big timber or the trial lawyers, that tells you more about how they’ll govern than any 30-second TV ad ever will.
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The Alabama race for governor is wide open for the first time in a long time. Whether it’s a "Coach" or a "Senator" or a "Pastor" taking the oath in 2027, the state's approach to the economy and education is about to get a major overhaul. Keep your eyes on the primary—that's where the real power moves are happening right now.