As U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) run for governor in 2026 seems more likely, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate says he is “thinking about” joining the race for lieutenant governor.

Pate said he had been “kicking around” the idea of his own gubernatorial campaign last year but has decided against it after Tuberville’s change of heart after months of dismissing speculation that he would run.

“In January, he asked me to call him, and so I called him one Sunday afternoon,” Pate said.

“He (Tuberville) said I’m about 50/50, I’m going to run for governor. So, I just said, well, you know, knock yourself out. You know, I’m not going to run against you.”

“The only person that could beat him I think would be Nick Saban,” Pate continued.

“And I don’t think Saban wants to run for it.”

But Pate said he’s “not disappointed in any way” with Tuberville’s decision.

“It’s not like I’ve had this calling and pining away to be governor for the last four years or 10 years,” he said.

First elected as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in 2018, Pate will reach the end of his two- term limit next year, and said he wants to find another way to serve the state.

“They’ve got an open door someplace for me to serve whether it’s run for something or not,” he said.

“I haven’t made that decision.”

“But anyway, I had told [Secretary of State] Wes Allen I was not going to run for lieutenant governor,” he continued.

“At the time I was thinking I didn’t want sort of a part time job, and you know, I needed something that engaged me like this job had.”

But more recently, Pate said he has spoken to Allen again to say that he is “thinking about it.”

“When you’ve got less than two years left, you’ve got to think about what you’re going to do next,” he said.

“It might be something else entirely.”

Pate praised current Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth’s work over the last five years and said if he were to take over the position, he would like to keep Alabama on the “same path.”

“I can run a meeting and bring people together,” he said.

“I feel like that’s sort of my personality. And so, it’s not that I’m getting in it with some sort of agenda.”

“I mean, I’m pretty conservative,” he continued.

“I’m Chairman of the Lowndes County Republican party, you know, and so I think they’re doing a good job and the Governor’s done a good job.”

“It’s just keeping us on the same path,” he said.

“They’ve done a good job of holding some money back and refilling the rainy-day funds and, you know, trying to be fiscally conservative. And socially conservative, too.”

Pate said he hasn’t “gotten far enough” in his planning to run on a particular issue.

“But I think just continue what we’ve been doing,” he said.

Pate said he knows of three candidates that are running for his current role in 2026 (Christina McInnis, Sen. Jack Williams R-Wilmer, and Douglas Mayor Corey Hill), and predicted there will be at least half a dozen by next year.

“I’ve had people tell me ‘You’ve got to quit going out and telling people how much fun you’re having, ‘” he said.

“Hopefully people feel like I’ve of elevated the job and been out and about so yeah, I would expect there to be plenty of good candidates.”

“I mean, there already are,” he added.