Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has won Alabama’s gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic former Sen. Doug Jones. Tuberville received 52.1% of the vote to Jones’s 47.9%, a narrower outcome than pre-election polls predicted, which had shown Tuberville leading by double digits.
The race was a rematch of the 2020 Senate contest, which Tuberville also won, then by a much larger margin. Both candidates secured their party nominations in landslide primaries, though Tuberville’s primary included a lawsuit filed by insurance agent Ken McFeeters challenging his residency eligibility; the suit was dismissed.
Tuberville was confident in victory, and no debate was held; he stated that “there’s really no debate.” Despite issues that afflicted Republicans’ electoral chances elsewhere, including high gas prices and the Iran war, those issues did not substantially harm Tuberville.
Democrats invested a substantial amount in the race, hoping Jones had the best chance of winning in the deeply conservative state; Jones was projected to do better than most other Democrats. Jones even outraised Tuberville in June and July. However, the result continues Republicans’ hold on the state; Alabama has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
In the concurrent race for Tuberville’s Senate seat, Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) faced Democratic attorney Everett Wess in a contest widely expected to be won by Republicans.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The race was one of the few competitive statewide contests in Alabama, and the narrow margin suggests that strong Democratic candidates can perform well even in deep-red states.
- Tuberville’s victory, despite national issues such as high gas prices and the Iran war, indicates that local factors can insulate candidates from broader political trends.
- The result, closer than anticipated, may encourage future Democratic investment in Alabama races.
Background
Alabama’s gubernatorial race was a rematch of the 2020 Senate election, which Tuberville won by a wide margin. Both candidates easily won their primaries. Tuberville faced a lawsuit over residency requirements that was dismissed. He outraised Jones overall, though Jones had stronger fundraising in June and July. Tuberville chose not to debate, saying there was no need.
What to Watch
- Whether the narrow margin spurs Democrats to field stronger candidates in future Alabama statewide elections.
- The outcome of the parallel Senate race to fill Tuberville’s seat, which could shift the partisan balance in the Senate if the Democratic challenger outperforms expectations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedTuberville defeated Jones in Alabama’s gubernatorial race.Washington Examiner: “Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) won Alabama’s gubernatorial race against Democratic former Sen. Doug Jones”
- SupportedTuberville received 52.1% of the vote and Jones received 47.9%.Washington Examiner: “Tuberville won 52.1% of the vote compared to Jones’s 47.9%.”
- SupportedThe result was narrower than expected, after polls had shown Tuberville leading by double digits.Washington Examiner: “The result was narrower than expected, as Tuberville was leading Jones by double digits in every poll before the election.”
- SupportedThe race was a rematch of Tuberville and Jones’s 2020 Senate contest.Washington Examiner: “The race was unique for being a rematch between Tuberville and Jones in a statewide contest. Tuberville defeated Jones in the 2020 race for the latter’s Senate seat”
- SupportedBoth candidates won their party primaries in landslides.Washington Examiner: “Both candidates won their primaries in landslides”
- SupportedKen McFeeters filed a lawsuit challenging Tuberville’s residency eligibility, and the suit was dismissed.Washington Examiner: “Insurance agent Ken McFeeters filed a lawsuit challenging the senator’s eligibility based on residency requirements, but the lawsuit was dismissed.”
- SupportedTuberville said, “there’s really no debate.”Washington Examiner: “The Alabama Republican was so confident in victory that no debate was held — Tuberville simply stated that “there’s really no debate.””
- SupportedHigh gas prices and the Iran war did not substantially harm Tuberville.Washington Examiner: “issues that afflicted Republicans’ electoral chances elsewhere in the country, including high gas prices and the Iran war, didn’t substantially harm Tuberville.”
- SupportedDemocrats invested substantially in the race and hoped Jones had the best chance of winning in Alabama.Washington Examiner: “As a former senator, Democrats hoped that Jones had the best chance of winning in the deeply conservative state. ... Democrats still invested a substantial amount.”
- SupportedJones was projected to do better than most other Democrats.Washington Examiner: “Jones was still projected to do better than most other Democrats.”
- SupportedJones outraised Tuberville in June and July.Washington Examiner: “Jones even outraised Tuberville in June and July.”
- SupportedAlabama has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.Washington Examiner: “Democrats haven’t won an Alabama gubernatorial election since 1998.”