Former Democratic Senator Doug Jones announced Nov. 24 he will enter the 2026 Alabama governor’s race against Republican frontrunner, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
Jones, a former United States attorney, represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 2018 to 2021 after a close special election win against Republican Roy Moore, who was accused of sexual assault by multiple women during the race.
In 2020, Jones lost his incumbent Senate seat to Tuberville. If both candidates win their primary elections, the 2026 election would set up a rematch between the two.
Nicole Wool, a spokeswoman for Jones’ campaign, said that he was running to give students and young adults a voice and a “real reason” to get engaged in politics.
“Your generation has the power to make lasting, impactful change, and it’s your future that’s at stake,” Wool said on behalf of Jones in a statement Tuesday. “In the coming weeks, I’ll officially kick off my campaign and work to bring a new look to Alabama, one that will give young Alabamians a voice in shaping the direction of our state.”
In an Instagram post announcing his candidacy, Jones said, “folks in Alabama deserve a governor who is going to fight for them.”
He said an official kickoff to the campaign will happen this month.
Ragan Hope Wilson, a senior majoring in social work and vice president of the Alabama Young Democrats, said that Jones was focused on affordability.
“He’s more about responsible governance and thinking about how Alabamians can make a decent living, and begin to thrive and be able to stay in Alabama,” she said. “We want to retain more people. A lot of people come here for education, and then they leave because there’s minimal opportunity.”
Wilson said she thought that Jones made choices that were “outside of the Democratic agenda” during his Senate term and was not “catering to a party boss,” while Tuberville has “shown he doesn’t have a lot of substantive policy choices.”
According to Tuberville’s campaign website, his agenda includes protecting “Alabama values,” expanding school choices and supporting Veterans.
Jones said to WSFA News that his platform will prioritize improvements to education, increased job opportunities, higher wages and the establishment of a state lottery.
Wilson encouraged University students to “talk about this race in any way they can.”
“He really did encourage a lot of people and cause a lot of hope,” she said. “In a time right now, that really is what we need.”
