Former Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron announced his campaign for lieutenant governor of Alabama on Thursday. He is running as a Republican.
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted McCarron in 2014 after he won three national championships at Alabama. Rumors began about McCarron running for U.S. Senate in September.
“When coach Saban recruited me to play quarterback for The University of Alabama, he taught me the principles of being a leader,” McCarron said in his campaign announcement video. “And together, we won back-to-back National Championships, and playing in the NFL reinforced the importance of achieving goals bigger than ourselves.”
McCarron said he decided to “get off the sidelines” after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“Today, Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction,” he said. “That’s why Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us so deeply.”
McCarron isn’t the only one running for lieutenant governor. Wes Allen, Rick Pate, Nicole Wadsworth and Dean Odle are as well. If McCarron is elected as lieutenant governor, he would potentially serve under former Auburn head coach and current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who announced his campaign for governor in June.
“It’s time for political newcomers and outsider candidates like me to lead the battle,” McCarron said.
The state primaries for lieutenant governor and other positions are May 19, 2026.
