Copyright AL.com
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has emerged as a fundraising powerhouse in his bid for governor, collecting more than $7.7 million since launching his campaign despite facing no serious opposition. Tuberville raised more than $1 million in October alone, with major contributions coming from Birmingham-area Pepsi and Coca-Cola bottlers, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, and Republican Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who had considered a gubernatorial run earlier this year. The senator’s fundraising total is nearly $5 million more than what Gov. Kay Ivey had raised at the same point in her 2022 campaign. Ivey ultimately collected more than $10.8 million during the 2021–2022 election cycle, winning a competitive GOP primary without facing a runoff. Ken McFeeters, the only other Republican who has announced a run for governor, did not report any contributions in October. His campaign spent $1,888 and ended the month with $18,112 on hand. On the Democratic side, Will Boyd of Hoover reported raising $8,500 in October and finished the month with $4,378 in cash on hand. Chad “Chig” Martin of Enterprise raised $1,379 and reported $9,677 in cash remaining. The Alabama primaries are May 19, 2026. In other statewide races, two Republican candidates for Alabama Attorney General are accusing an “influx of dark money” into the race. While former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell ended October with $2.1 million in cash, Katherine Robertson – chief counsel for current Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who is running for the U.S. Senate – won the monthly fundraising battle with more than $378,000 raised since Oct. 1. Mitchell’s monthly haul was $210,175. Robertson finished the month with $1.7 million in cash. Pamela Casey, the Republican Blount County District Attorney, raised $4,845 last month and finished with $597,457 in cash. No Democratic challenger has filed in the race. Robertson, in a news release, called her October a “fundraising success” and attributed it to support from law enforcement, farmers, small businesses and conservatives. She also touted her endorsements from six county sheriffs and the Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama. “Katherine continues to prove that she is not only the most qualified candidate in this race, but she’s also the most conservative,” said Annabel Martinson, campaign manager for Robertson. “After years of fighting the extreme policies of the Biden/Harris Administration and the far left, Katherine is ready to work alongside President Trump to secure wins for families in Alabama as Attorney General.” Mitchell touted his contributes from 98% of support from “conservative donors” based in Alabama. His campaign also accused what he said was an “unfettered influx of dark money” to an an opponent he did not name. This campaign’s news release said that his campaign’s budget “has been raised in full transparency, complying completely with both the letter and intent of Alabama campaign finance law.” “Alabamians are not fooled or intimidated by the dark money flooding into the race,” Mitchell said. “To the contrary – they know this dark money is nothing more than a Trojan Horse for the woke, anti-Trump operatives who want to own our state.” Casey also accused what she said were “dark-money organizations pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars” into the race. She called it “swamp” money from Washington, D.C. “Why? It’s clear. They want to buy power,” Casey said. “They want an Attorney General who answers to them.” She continued, “The people of Alabama are smarter than these outside groups give them credit for, and they will not be fooled by hidden agendas and shady money. Alabama will support a prosecutor who puts pedophiles in prison over candidates getting dark money from groups trying to buy the Attorney General’s Office and candidates who have never tried a single criminal jury trial.” In the lieutenant governor’s contest, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, a former state representative from Troy, is leading the group of candidates in fundraising. The winner will take over the state’s No. 2 political office. Allen raised $67,275 last month and loaned $250,000 for his campaign. He ended the month with $946,107 in cash. “Alabama’s Fair Campaign Practice Act requires monthly reports to provide the utmost transparency to voters as to who is supporting campaigns and where campaign money is being spent,” Allen said in a statement. “I am grateful that, month after month, these legally required reports reflect the level of support that I have received as I travel all over the state.” Rick Pate, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, raised $39,677 and finished the month with $524,031 cash. Nicole Wadsworth raised $20,260 last month, including providing a $50,000 loan to her campaign. She finished the month with $230,813. Dean Odle of Opelika raised $17,695 last month, finishing the month with $15,697. Patrick Bishop raised $437, ending the month with $2,241. Absent from the monthly fundraising report was former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, who announced his candidacy late last month. A campaign spokesperson, in a statement to AL.com, said McCarron announced his candidacy “just one week before the fundraising deadline” and “while he has secured commitments from donors, the campaign deliberately chose not to accept those contributions until the next reporting period opened.” The McCarron camp will submit its first fundraising report in early December. No Democrat has announced their candidacy for the office. In the race for Secretary of State, former Republican congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson holds a campaign fundraising advantage over Republican Alabama Auditor Andrew Sorrell. Dobson raised $85,353 in October and finished the month with $776,319 in cash. Sorrell raised $15,226 and finished the month with $262,869. Sorrell said in a statement that his campaign has received 326 contributions from 300 people over the past five months, and that was excited about “the momentum we see on the ground as we continue to run a grassroots campaign.” “People are excited about our common sense election integrity platform items and are donating to us to see that platform implemented into policy beginning in January of 2027,” Sorrell said. Dobson’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Wayne Rogers, a Birmingham Democrat, raised $5,513 last month and finished with $4,756 in cash. In the race for Agriculture and Industries Commissioner, Republican state Senator Jack Williams raised $59,250 last month and finished in the lead with $556,028. Cory Hill of Douglas raised $37,700 last month and finished with $166,129. Christina McInnis of Summerdale raised $14,750 last month and finished with $472,678 in cash.
