Opinion: With Alabama legislative session over, campaign season kicks in high gear

With the Alabama Legislature now adjourned, the poltiical headlines will now focus on the 2026 statewide elections. Party primary elections are May 19, 2026 and state law allows candidates running for those offices to start raising money a year in advance. Thus, those serious about winning will get out front with fundraising for their war chest. The elections will include all of the state’s constitutuonal officers and 140 members of the Alabama Legislature.

First and foremost, everyone is asking the question, what will United States Senator Tommy Tuberville do? Senator Tuberville had previously announced that he would make a decision by the end of May whether he will seek reelection or choose to run for governor. That decison will lead to a domino effect on what other candidates may run for other offices in Alabama. And while he is pondering his future, the speculation about who may replace him in the Senate has already started.

If Senator Tuberville does choose to seek reisdence in the governor’s mansion, with a wide open race, there will be a number of seekers to replace him to represent the state in the Senate. For most of Alabama’s history, Senate incumbents kept their seats for multiple terms and there was very little turnover. However, in the past couple of decades we have seen retirements and defeats that have opened the plum poltiical prize. Alabama Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth and Attorney General Steve Marshal are the names mentioned most prominentily. The Lieutenant Governor had already made it clear he has already made plans to run to be the state’s top executive.You can count on it being one of the most expensive in state history.

And while all of the talk is whether Senator Tommy Tuberville will declare his campaign for governor, the race for Lieutenant Governor seems to already gotten off to the races. With the current Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth term limited from seeking another term, the seat will be vacant. The only announced candidate for certain is Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen who officially confirmed he was seeking the Republican nomination earlier this year. Alabamaa Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate is considreing a run for the state’s second in command. Another potential candidate being floated is former Secretary of State John Merrill. Merrill and Allen have been on the offense and counterattacks about the state’s role in voter integrity efforts. Those barbs look more like the preview of an upcoming campaign and a hotely contested race for Lieutenant Governor.

Finally, before voters will focus on what will happen in 2026, there are important elections in 2025. This upcoming August, voters will be hearing from those seeking muicpal office. The majority of Alabama's mayors and council members seats will be open. Whether it is incumbents or challengers, these races will dominate the poltical landscape the next 90 days. But first, in June those who want to run for these seats must annouce and qualify to run. And then the quick campaign race to election day on August 26th. So while there will be a lot of talk about who may be Alabama’s next Governor, the next leadership for the state’s cities are first up on deck.

So watch the headlines this week, as the marathon election season in Alaabama is off to the races.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.