Former Auburn University football coach and football analyst Tommy Tuberville announced his intention to run for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat against incumbent Democrat Doug Jones.
Tuberville tweeted Saturday that he decided to run for Senate and revealed his new campaign website.
“After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a [GOP] candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team,” he tweeted.
After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team. https://t.co/jlW8VdXpoq #TeamTommy #ALSen #MAGA
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) April 6, 2019
Tuberville, 64, is the second Republican to announce a bid for the party’s nomination, challenging the front-runner status held by Rep. Bradley Byrne. The former coach has flirted with a political run before, hinting that he was considering entering the fray for governor in 2017. He decided against running, endorsing Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle, who ultimately lost the Republican nomination.
He became a fixture in Alabama society in the late 1990s, when he took over Auburn football. Within a couple of seasons, he managed to turn around the struggling football program into the one of the Southeastern Conference’s powerhouse teams.
Since retiring from coaching in 2016, Tuberville has remained active in the Auburn community and in Alabama politics, regularly hosting fundraisers and endorsing candidates.
The current seat occupied by Jones is seen as an easy target for the Republican Party in the 2020 election cycle. Jones won the seat in a 2017 special election after Jeff Sessions vacated the seat to become U.S. attorney general. In a political upset, Jones defeated the controversial Republican nominee Roy Moore.
Some of the more conservative groups in Alabama and nationwide are wary of Byrne’s moderate leanings and have been pushing for an alternative candidate, with Tea Party favorite and House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Gary Palmer being urged to run by groups such as the Club for Growth and rumors of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz weighing crossing the state line.
