MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT) — Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday that he is not going to run for governor in 2026. Both Republicans and Democrats say there are a few things they’d like to see as a candidate for that role.
Political Analyst Steve Flowers said that Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Rick Pate, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, are frontrunners. But he said the field is not full yet.
“There are a lot of people who are out there who have built their own businesses, who are 60 years old, and decide they want to buy the Governor’s office rather than play golf. The thing is wide open,” said Flowers.
Flowers said candidates are deciding- and even Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has been rumored to run for the role.
“They’ll drop their names in the hat. They can officially start raising money in May. The law says you can start raising money one year prior to the primary election,” Flowers explained. “And our primary election is in May of 2026.”
Wayne Rogers, chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, said there are several potential candidates in their party. But they want someone with name recognition, like former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who has not ruled out a run according to Rogers.