Candidates for state offices in Alabama can officially begin raising campaign funds on Monday, one year before the May 19, 2026 primary.

All of the largest state offices are on the ballot, including governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, as well as all 140 seats in the Alabama Legislature.

On the federal level, the race to watch is for the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville says he is considering a run for governor instead of a second term in Washington.

Tuberville’s decision will be pivotal, because it could create a wide-open race to be his successor and influence who runs for governor and possibly other offices.

Governor

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth has said for months he is considering a run for governor and would make an announcement after the legislative session, which ended last Wednesday.

Gov. Kay Ivey will leave office in January 2027 after two full terms and nearly 10 years as governor.

Ainsworth, who is in his second term as lieutenant governor and is term-limited, has said he would either run for governor or the private sector.

Yellowhammer News reported in April that Tuberville has told supporters he is in the governor’s race.

Tuberville said at the time he had not made up his mind.

“While I appreciate all the interest, Suzanne and I are still praying about how to best serve the people of Alabama. When I have an official announcement about my future, you’ll hear it directly from me,” he posted on social media.

Some analysts say the former Auburn football coach and close ally of President Trump would be the overwhelming favorite if he runs for governor.

Tuberville will face questions about his residency. The law requires governors to have lived in Alabama at least seven years. Tuberville has a home in Auburn but also has two homes in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

U.S. Senate

If Tuberville opts to run for governor, that would create an opening that is likely to attract some established politicians in Alabama as well as possibly some new names.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a loyal advocate for the national GOP and President Trump, is among the first names mentioned by political insiders as a possible successor to Tuberville.

In March, during an interview on Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal, Marshall said a run for the Senate was possible, depending on what Tuberville does.

“If that seat comes open, the Senate’s been sort of an overlay interest for what I’ve had as attorney general, the work that we’ve done federally and the issues we’ve been involved with,” Marshall said.

“If that’s an open seat, I think we’ll be prepared to pivot quickly and make an announcement on whether or not we’d run.”

Kyle Sweetser of Mobile, a businessman and former two-time Donald Trump voter who bashed the president at last summer’s Democratic National Convention, announced his run earlier this month.

But the Republican nominee will be the heavy favorite in Alabama, where Democrats are rarely competitive in statewide campaigns.

Among the potential candidates waiting on Tuberville’s decision are former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and former Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis, who both say they might run.

“That’s certainly one of the offices that I have on my list of offices I would consider being a candidate for in 2026 or at some other point in time,” Merrill said in April.

Davis, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, has said his experience in state, local, and federal government would prepare him to serve in Washington.

“I’m waiting for the formal announcement from Senator Tuberville to see what’s going to happen,” Davis said last month. “Because of course that’s going to have ripple effects with a whole bunch of elections in Alabama.”

Two other Republicans mentioned as possible candidates – Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and former Congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson – say they are weighing their options.

Cavanaugh was first elected to the Public Service Commission in 2010. Two years later, she defeated Lucy Baxley to become PSC president. Voters re-elected Cavanaugh in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Cavanaugh ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, narrowly losing in a hotly contested Republican primary runoff to Will Ainsworth.

Asked whether she would consider a run for the Senate, Cavanaugh issued a short statement last month.

“Senator Tuberville has made it clear that he and his wife are still thinking about his political future, so this conversation is premature,” Cavanaugh said.

“Certainly the political landscape is in flux right now, and I will use this time to pray and have thoughtful conversations with my family and conservative friends to discern where I could best serve our state.”

Dobson is an attorney who won the Republican nomination in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional district last year, her first political race. She lost to Democratic nominee Shomari Figures in a district that was drawn by a federal court to favor Democrats.

Dobson said Friday that she is in the process of deciding whether to run for office again.

“Running for Congress last year was a life-changing experience – one for which I am truly grateful, and one that only deepened my desire to help make our already-great state even better,” Dobson said in an email. “Sometimes God opens a door and invites you to decide if you want to enter.

“My husband, Bobby, our children, and I are discussing whether our future is pointing us toward Washington or somewhere closer to home, and I hope to have a decision soon.”

Lieutenant governor

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen and Opelika pastor Dean Odle have already announced their candidacy.

“I expect that race to be the best race on the ballot,” Steve Flowers, a political columnist who is an author and a former state lawmaker, has said. “It’s going to be a crowded field when it’s all said and done.”

Flowers said other potential Republican candidates include Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate, the PSC’s Cavanaugh, John Merrill, and Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl.

Allen and Merrill recently leveled accusations at each other.

Merrill fired back at Allen’s claims that he was fixing the “bloated” voter rolls that Allen said Merrill left behind and disputed Allen’s characterization of ERIC as a liberal organization.

In response, Allen doubled down and reminded voters about an extramarital affair with Merrill that Merrill had denied but then admitted four years ago after hearing audio the woman had recorded.

Attorney General

Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey has announced she was running for Alabama attorney general.

The election is for an open seat. Steve Marshall has held the job since he was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley in 2017.

Others mentioned as potential candidates for attorney general include Caroleene Dobson; Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Jay Mitchell; Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Peeples of the Northern District of Alabama; Katherine Robertson, chief counsel for Marshall since 2017; and Jay Town, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama during the first Trump administration.