Morgan Murphy’s $1M Fundraising Shakes Up Alabama Senate Race

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Morgan Murphy has raised $1,057,949 in the first quarter of the 2026 campaign — a sum that outpaced early fundraising by rivals in the race to succeed Senator Tommy Tuberville. Murphy’s campaign says the total reflects a broad base of small-dollar grassroots support — including more than 10,000 individual contributions from all 50 States and donors across the country.

Murphy officially entered the Senate contest on October 1, 2025. He previously served as a national security adviser to Tuberville and in the Trump administration.

“From Afghanistan to the White House and all points in between, the honor of my life has been serving our country,” Murphy said in a campaign statement. “I’m proud to volunteer to serve again, this time to continue Senator Tuberville’s legacy as the strongest MAGA voice in the U.S. Senate.”

His campaign tells reporters that the average donation was $69, and that the majority of funds still came from donors in Alabama — even as contributions flowed from throughout the United States.

Murphy’s fundraising surge has drawn praise from national conservative figures. K.T. McFarland, who served as President Trump’s Deputy National Security Adviser, said “I backed Morgan early because I knew he’d be a powerhouse in Washington, It’s clear he has strong grassroots support behind his campaign.”

Christopher Miller, who was Secretary of Defense during the first Trump administration, noted that “Since launching his campaign, Morgan has made 34 national media appearances. He’s a clear, strong voice for President Trump and the State of Alabama. I’m not surprised, given he’s been that voice for the Department of War and U.S. Navy for 26 years.”

Murphy’s entrance has added new energy to what is shaping up as a competitive Republican primary. Other declared GOP candidates include U.S. Representative Barry Moore, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, businessman Rodney Walker and businessman Jeremy Spratling. They will face off in the May 19, 2026 primary, ahead of the November general election.

Birmingham native Murphy is a U.S. Navy Reserve Captain with 26 years of service on five continents, including a deployment to Afghanistan. He has served in both Trump administrations, most recently as Senior Public Diplomacy Advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, and previously as Press Secretary to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Murphy was also National Security Adviser to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and a Senior Fellow with the America First Policy Institute. Before his federal service, he was travel editor, food critic, and spokesman for Southern Living and is the author of multiple books. He lives on Red Mountain with his family.

For more information on Morgan Murphy, visit https://murphyforsenate.com or follow his campaign on social media.