2026 governor races › Alabama

Alabama Governor Race 2026: Tuberville vs. Jones

General election November 3, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026

Very Likely ROpen seat

Open seat; Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is term-limited.

Candidates

Where the race stands

There is no RealClearPolling average. Polymarket gives Tuberville (R) about 94 percent, and Kalshi has Republicans at about 94 percent. A late-September Napolitan News Service poll for a conservative group had Tuberville up 50 to 37 over Jones (D).
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Analysis

Alabama is an open seat with Gov. Kay Ivey term-limited, and the race is a Senate rematch: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R), who is giving up his Senate seat to run, against former Sen. Doug Jones (D), whom Tuberville unseated in 2020. Tuberville has made crime his lead message, with an ad promising to send in the National Guard on day one; the mayors of Montgomery and Birmingham have rejected the idea. He also wants to end the grocery tax and cut the income tax, says the state cannot afford to expand Medicaid, and sees “no reason” to debate. Jones is running on Medicaid expansion to protect rural hospitals, a state lottery, and household costs, and he has questioned whether Tuberville even lives in Alabama; on October 9 the Alabama Supreme Court upheld dismissal of a suit challenging his eligibility on jurisdictional grounds, without ruling on whether he meets the residency requirement.

The rating is MultiState's consensus, the average of the Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball and Pluribus News. Polling is the RealClearPolling average where one exists.

Alabama governors since 1991

Republicans have held the office since 2003. The last Democrat was Don Siegelman (1999–2003).

19911995200020052010201520202025

Each block is one governor; thin lines mark a reelection. Margins are the winner's lead over the runner-up, in points.

  1. Kay Ivey R · 2017–present · 2 terms + partial
    Succeeded to office 2017, elected 2018 (+19.1), reelected 2022 (+37.7)
  2. Robert J. Bentley R · 2011–2017 · 2 terms
    Elected 2010 (+15.7), reelected 2014 (+27.3), resigned 2017
  3. Bob Riley R · 2003–2011 · 2 terms
    Elected 2002 (+0.2), reelected 2006 (+15.9)
  4. Don Siegelman D · 1999–2003 · 1 term
    Elected 1998 (+15.8), lost reelection 2002
  5. Fob James R · 1995–1999 · 1 term
    Elected 1994 (+0.9), lost reelection 1998
  6. Jim Folsom D · 1993–1995 · partial term
    Succeeded to office 1993, lost reelection 1994
  7. H. Guy Hunt R · 1987–1993 · 2 terms
    Elected 1986 (+12.9), reelected 1990 (+4.2), removed from office 1993
See the full Alabama governor timeline and every election since 1954 →

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