We all knew that this 2026 election year was going to be a big year in Alabama politics.
There was no way it was going to be a “yawner” with openings in the Constitutional offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner and State Auditor.
The 2026 election year began on May 19, when campaign fundraising could begin. Our elections will be May 19, 2026. Our Republican Primary that day, and subsequent runoffs four weeks later, will be our election for all statewide offices. Winning the Republican Primary for state office is tantamount to election in Alabama.
Qualifying for all offices will begin in just a few weeks on January 5, and end on January 23, then we will have whirlwind sprint to the May election.
In addition to the Constitutional offices, all 105 State House Seats and all 35 State Senate Seats are up for election. Our State Legislative Seats are becoming analogous to Congressional Seats when it comes to incumbency. Very few incumbents are ever defeated or even challenged. Over 80 percent of the legislature is running unopposed. Currently there are only two State Senate Seats open due to retirement. The makeup of the State Senate will remain 28 Republicans and seven Democrats.
We were all looking for a donnybrook brawl for Governor, like we used to have in bygone days in the governor’s race. In past times, the Governor could not succeed themselves, so we would have a wide-open governor’s race every four years. Governor Kay Ivey is term limited, and this time last year, it looked like we might have an old fashioned, full field governor’s race.
However, Coach Tommy Tuberville’s decision to leave his safe U.S. Senate Seat to run for Governor has taken all the oxygen, excitement, and uncertainty out of the governor’s race. Any of his potentially serious contenders for the Brass Ring of Alabama politics headed for the hills or scattered like quail at the beginning of hunting season. Instead of having an easy reelection jaunt to a second six-year term in the United States Senate, Tuberville is looking at a cakewalk into the Governor’s office. Tuberville has no viable opponent with the endorsement of every major business group, and over $7 million in the bank. If that’s not a recipe for election to Governor, I don’t know what is. The Democrats may make a futile effort to thwart Tuberville’s triumphant march with a Hail Mary residency challenge. However, if you want a safe bet, you should probably bet that Tuberville’s residency will be on Perry Street in Montgomery come January of 2027.
Our popular State Treasurer, Young Boozer, will be reelected to his unprecedented fifth term as Treasurer. Young will probably be unopposed.
Former State Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell has stepped down from the High Court to run for Attorney General. Judge Mitchell will be favored to win this race. He is being challenged by veteran Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, and also, Assistant Attorney General Katherine Green Robertson. Robertson could be a viable candidate due to an incredible $1.5 million being funneled into her campaign by dark money, clandestine, out-of-state Right Wing entities.
Derek Chen will be heavily favored to win the open State Auditor’s post. He has been endorsed by every major business group, including ALFA, Business Council of Alabama, Manufacture Alabama, and Alabama Forestry, as well as almost every GOP group in the state. He has worked the state diligently for over a year and may very well receive the endorsement of President Trump. He has been one of Trump’s most ardent supporters during Trump’s entire tenure in politics.
The three best 2026 donnybrook races will be for Secretary of State, Lt. Governor, and State Agriculture Commissioner. The Secretary of State race will be between current State Auditor Andrew Sorrell and Alabama’s brightest rising political star, Caroleene Dobson. Caroleene has a commanding lead in fundraising and has received impressive endorsements also.
The Agriculture Commissioner race should really be a good one. There are three well-qualified candidates. Mobile State Senator Jack Williams, Baldwin County prominent farm family heiress, Christina Woerner McInnis, and Marshall County farmer and grocer, Corey Hill, will be vying for this important post.
The best race of 2026 may well be for Lt. Governor. It is now a three man race between Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, Secretary of State Wes Allen, and former Alabama football star AJ McCarron.
It will be a good political year.
See you next week.
Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at [email protected].
