Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) won the Republican nomination for governor in Alabama, teeing up a rematch with former Sen. Doug Jones, the Democrat he ousted in his 2020 race for Senate.
Both Tuberville and Jones advanced to the general election on Tuesday night, giving the two men a chance to compete again for statewide office. Jones was elected to one of Alabama’s two Senate seats in 2017, a political upset that interrupted Republicans’ dominance in the state. He suffered a double-digit defeat to Tuberville three years later.
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Polls showed Tuberville with a commanding, 60-point lead heading into the gubernatorial primary, and early on, he earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement. He got over 85% of the vote on Tuesday night, and his two Republican challengers failed to crack double-digit support.
In the Democratic primary, Jones faced five competitors but walked away with 73.5% of the vote when the race was called on Tuesday night.
Tuberville has built his candidacy on the culture wars and his loyalty to Trump. Polling is sparse for the general election, but the president won Alabama by 30 points in 2024, presenting a major electoral hurdle to Jones.
Jones, like other Democrats, has placed healthcare and the cost of living at the center of his campaign and blames pandemic-era restrictions for his 20-point loss to Tuberville. When Jones won his Senate term in 2017, it was against a Republican candidate accused of sexual misconduct with minors.
The race for governor is unfolding alongside a competitive race for Senate that is expected to head to a runoff on Tuesday. Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), the Trump-endorsed candidate, is competing for Tuberville’s seat in what became a three-way Republican primary.
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Primary voters were also choosing their nominees for the House, although the outcome in four districts will be voided as Alabama makes a last-minute bid to redraw its map. The decision came after the Supreme Court handed Republicans a victory on redistricting last month.
One of Tuberville’s primary competitors contested whether he meets the residency requirements to run for governor in Alabama, a challenge centered on his beach house in Florida. The state party subsequently dismissed that challenge in February. On Tuesday, a state judge also tossed the case.
