Storied former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville has come up with a new game plan – running for the U.S. Senate in Alabama to keep America great.
Tuberville will run as a Republican against incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), CBS Sports said. Jones won Jeff Sessions’ old seat by half a percentage point in a bitterly contested special election in 2017 after Sessions became U.S. attorney general.
The Republican primary is March 3, 2020. The general election is Nov. 3, 2020.
Auburn’s coach had once thought of running for Alabama governor in 2017, CBS Sports said. Sean Spicer, a former press secretary for President Donald Trump, is with Tuberville’s campaign.
Tuberville tweeted on Saturday, “After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team. http://www.tommyforsenate.com #TeamTommy #ALSen #MAGA”.
After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team. https://t.co/jlW8VdXpoq #TeamTommy #ALSen #MAGA
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) April 6, 2019
Tuberville’s campaign website is here.
Jones’ opposition to President Trump’s wall is threatening to torpedo the Alabama lawmaker’s re-election bid in 2020, and Democrats in the state say he’s a “dead man walking.” Jones represents a red state filled with federal workers who support Trump’s immigration policies.
Jones is in “esteemed” Democratic and Never-Trumper company: he asked former Vice President Joe Biden to escort him to his swearing-in ceremony, and former Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker said he was “proud” of Alabama for selecting Jones over Moore.
Tuberville is not the only Alabama Republican trying to carry the ball into the end zone in ousting Jones in 2020.
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL-01) is running for the seat, and several others are considering joining in, Politico said. Jones’ seat is considered the most at-risk among Democrats.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
