A new poll of Alabama Republican primary voters delivers a stark warning to Sen. Tommy Tuberville: stay in the U.S. Senate or risk alienating the voters who have stood firmly behind him.
According to a J.L. Partners survey conducted April 22–27, seventy-one percent of Republican primary voters said they somewhat or strongly agreed that Tuberville is doing a “great job supporting President Trump’s agenda as Senator” and should stay in Washington. Only nine percent disagreed, while twenty percent neither agreed or disagreed or were unsure — leaving little margin for doubt.
The numbers sharpen when factoring in Trump’s influence. If President Donald Trump were to urge Tuberville to stay, seventy-three percent of Republican voters said they would want him to remain in the Senate. Just ten percent said he should leave, even with Trump’s blessing, and seventeen percent were unsure.
James Johnson, founding director of J.L. Partners, said the survey makes clear that Tuberville’s future is tied to expectations he will not abandon his Senate post.
“Alabama Republicans could not be clearer: they want Sen. Tuberville to stay put,” Johnson said. “In an electorate still incredibly loyal to Trump, there could even be a backlash if he left the Senate — where voters believe he is doing vital work forwarding the President’s agenda.”
The survey polled 606 registered Alabama voters who said they intend to vote in the 2026 Republican primary. Quotas ensured the sample reflected gender, age, region and education demographics. The margin of error is four percent.
Importantly, voter intensity was sky-high. Every respondent said they are registered to vote and plan to participate in the primary. Eighty-seven percent said they are “definitely voting,” and thirteen percent said they are “probably voting.” No respondents indicated any hesitation. The message from Republican voters isn’t a suggestion — it’s a mandate.
Tuberville’s rumored ambition for the Governor’s office now stands at odds with the clear will of Republican voters. The poll suggests many Republicans view him as indispensable in Washington — and would see a gubernatorial campaign as an unnecessary abandonment of Trump’s agenda.
In Alabama Republican politics, loyalty to Trump isn’t just expected — it’s demanded. Trump’s influence continues to dictate the political fortunes of those who once rode into power on his coattails.
If Tuberville turns his back on the Senate, he risks draining the very reservoir of trust that made his political rise possible.
J.L. Partners, named the most accurate pollster of the 2024 election cycle by POLITICO and NewsNation, conducted the survey as part of ongoing research into Republican voter sentiment ahead of the critical 2026 primaries.
