Will He, or Won’t He? The Tuberville For Governor Question

Will he, or won’t he run for Governor? Is Tommy Tuberville going to stay in the U.S. Senate, or try for a change of address to the Alabama Governor’s Mansion?

It’s the million dollar question in Alabama politics right now, and the answer is…we don’t know what the answer is, and likely won’t know for a few days.

That not knowing is driving people nuts, and it’s been more than a little fun to watch. 

Oh, it’s been “confirmed” that Tuberville told a group of donors last month that he’d decided to run for Governor—but let’s be brutally honest here. Telling that to a group of donors doesn’t necessarily mean a lot. Politicians tell donors a lot of things behind closed doors. When it’s done before the fundraising for that race can officially begin, and before any paperwork is filed? As far as I’m concerned, it is, as the Bard said, “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Last Thursday, May 8, Tuberville was on WVNN’s ‘The Dale Jackson Show,” and was asked if he had made a decision about the Governor’s race. 

“I want to do what's best for the people of Alabama, whether it’s Senator or Governor,” Tuberville said. “There's so much going on up here right now and there's really not a reason other than a couple reasons I think I have to make a decision one way or the other, because there's not enough time in the day. But, I want to do what's best for the people of Alabama, but I will make a decision here soon, for this reason: there's people waiting for me to make this decision. And, if I stay, people who need to get in the Governor’s race. If I go to the Governor’s race, people need to get in this race.”

“We’ll need a very good Senator up here that really understands the situation going on, that can make strong conservative decisions. So, you know it's not too far away,” Tuberville said, acknowledging that he was still “praying about it.”

When asked if he liked the job of Senator, Tuberville answered that, “I didn’t like very much of it the first three years under Biden” but “it’s turned around with President Trump.” He went on to say that “I like it much better than I did, because now you can really see the gains, the significant gains as an American, as a citizen from Alabama.” He went on to say that “I did not like it very well to watch our country be just absolutely robbed, stolen and just beat to the ground.”

Tuberville understands his decision is going to determine the lineups for Alabama’s two most important races next year. As he said, people are waiting on him to decide if they’re going to run for his Senate seat, or the Governor’s chair. That will have a domino effect on several other races down-ballot, as our little Glorious Leaders try to move up, and aspiring Glorious Leaders look to join them in the marble halls.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth has all but declared for Governor, and taken himself out of the Senate race. Attorney General Steve Marshall is already running for something, as hard as he can—it’s just a question of what, at this point. I don’t think John Merrill has ever stopped campaigning, and he has to at least be running the odds of Governor and Senator in his head. And what will Twinkle do, as things shake out? They’re not the only ones whose names keep popping up, but once again—no filings, no statements; it’s all sound and fury.

As if things weren’t messy enough: Kay Ivey’s cancer has come back, allegedly.

Recurrent lung cancer in an 80 year old? Not good. We all pray it’s not true, but….

The rumors have been flying fast and thick this weekend that some of the Governor’s staff are looking for jobs, because they expect to need them in the very near future. Ainsworth has his own people he’ll being with him if he moves across the street.

A Lt. Governor running for Governor is one thing. An incumbent Governor running for election in his own right is another thing altogether.

Tommy Tuberville has to know this, and it has to be something else for him to take into consideration.

In the meantime? Until The Man himself tells us, I’m not going to believe any of the rumors about what Tuberville will or will not do.

I will, however, enjoy watching everybody else tie themselves into knots about it.

Pass the popcorn, please.