Tommy Tuberville will be the next governor of Alabama after earning 51.8 percent of the vote Tuesday night to defeat Democratic challenger Doug Jones.
Jones garnered 47.9 percent of the vote, making the race the closest governor's race in the state since Democratic incumbent Don Siegelman lost to Republican Bob Riley in 2002. Alabama has had a Republican governor ever since, and will extend that record for four more years.
The final gap is noticeably narrower than other statewide races on the ballot, including for lieutenant governor, where former ALGOP chair John Wahl defeated former state representative Phillip Ensler with 54.3 percent of the vote. Republicans in other statewide races all finished with more than 54.5 percent of the vote.
Every single county shifted considerably to the left compared to the 2022 race between Kay Ivey and Yolanda Flowers, a lopsided affair won handily by the incumbent Republican governor.
The win for Tuberville came on a night in which Democrats won or outperformed expectations throughout the country, including Georgia electing its first ever Black female governor in Keisha Lance-Bottoms and Scott Colom narrowly winning a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi.
"In the face of blue waves—which we've had tonight, unfortunately—this staff has stood up to the pressure and said 'Not in my Alabama,'" Tuberville said in his victory speech in Auburn. "And to the folks who didn't vote for me, listen: I'm going to be your governor too—and a lot of you didn't vote for me, I don't understand why. Honestly, at this point, I don't care who you voted for because we have a lot of work to do. My goal isn't just to help one group, it's to help all. My goal is to help everyone who wants to be part of a championship team."
While Tuberville stood at the Hotel at Auburn University claiming victory about three hours after polls closed, Jones was in Birmingham announcing that he was not quite ready to concede.
"The bad news is that this is not a victory speech; the good news is that it's not a concession speech either," Jones told his watch party crowd.
Jones was candid about the fact that the uncounted votes may not materialize in his favor, but said at the time any concession announcement would be "way premature." Jones had not announced his concession as of publishing time, despite those vote counts coming in.
Tuberville, who will remain as the U.S. Senator for Alabama until January, said representing the state in D.C. has been the "honor of my lifetime," but added "I'm not going to miss it one damn bit."
"They deserve what they got tonight," Tuberville said.
What they got was a massive blue wave, with Democrats retaking the Senate with at least 54 seats, while also taking control of the House.
Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach, compared his win to a football coach taking over a team that has already been performing well.
"Here's the thing, good isn't the same as great, and great isn't the same as being a champion," Tuberville said. "I know what it takes to get there and it starts with being honest about ourselves with some tough love from an old ball coach ...
"We're going to make Alabama the best place in America to start a business, raise a family, build a future by cutting red tape, bringing in better jobs and lowering costs, giving your family more pocket money at the end of the month."
Tuberville praised gains in elementary school performance, but said the state needs to improve in middle school and provide more career pathways in high school.
He promised in his speech to back law enforcement and hold violent criminals accountable, while renewing his promise to call in the National Guard if he sees fit.
"If we don't do that, I will hold the judges and prosecutors accountable," Tuberville said. "I am going to clean up Montgomery ... I give you my word, I will make it safe to walk the streets of downtown Montgomery, even if I have to put the National Guard on every damn corner."
He also vowed to keep rural hospitals open and make healthcare more affordable, "even though Barack Obama ruined most of it."
For infrastructure, Tuberville said he would oversee the widening of I-65 from Tennessee all the way to the Gulf.
While many across the nation pointed to failures under Trump's second term so far for the results across the country, Tuberville maintained his relationship with the President and blamed those failures on the Biden administration.
"You know who changed my life? Donald Trump," Tuberville said. "Donald Trump's taking a lot of hits right now, but you know what he did? He inherited a complete, absolute mess a year-and-a-half ago. And how do I know this? Because I lived it for four years under Joe Biden, I lived it. And, folks, if we're going to go back to that, we're in trouble. And what I've seen tonight scares me, it really does. But we can't control that. What can we control? We can control this great state."
Wahl will be the new lieutenant governor with a more comfortable victory over Ensler.
"Tonight, you sent a farmer from Limestone County to be your voice in Montgomery, and I couldn’t be more grateful," Wahl said in a statement following the victory. "We started this race as the underdog, but throughout the last 9 months, we’ve proven that a genuine love for our nation and our values, along with a little help from the greatest president of my lifetime, can put an outsider into Alabama’s second highest constitutional office. I can’t wait to begin serving as your Lieutenant Governor, and I look forward to putting Alabama first every step of the way."
Ensler conceded the race to Wahl while emphasizing the moral victory for Democrats in closing the gap and making the state more competitive.
"When I entered this race, I knew it would be monumental—if almost impossible—to win as a Democrat in Alabama," Ensler said in a statement. "In recent history, Republicans have won most statewide races by about 20 points. I am proud that we are projected to have significantly closed that gap.
"Our race shows that with sustained effort dedicated organizing, and strong leadership, we can continue to move the needle and Democrats can eventually win in Alabama ... Tonight I am reflecting on Alabama's history and what so many foot soldiers and courageous Alabamians have proven over time: change will come. We must keep fighting."
