The Alabama Republican Party has dismissed a residency challenge to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s bid for governor. The party’s 21-member steering committee unanimously decided that Tuberville meets the state’s seven-year residency requirement.

Background

Tuberville, often referred to as ‘Coach’ due to his background coaching college football, has faced accusations of living in Florida rather than Alabama. His former primary opponent, Ken McFeeters, filed the challenge, arguing that Tuberville did not meet the residency requirement.

Tuberville submitted state tax records, property and home ownership records, driver’s licenses, voter registration, and other corroborating material to demonstrate his residency. The party said McFeeters was given the opportunity to question Tuberville on the witness stand about how much time he spends in Alabama and in Florida.

Tuberville has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and has called the accusation a ‘witch-hunt’ by the media. He released heavily redacted Alabama income tax returns from 2018 to 2024 as evidence he meets the seven-year residency requirement.

Response

Scott Stadthagen, the state Republican Party chair, said, ‘We looked at it with the facts. The contest was unsuccessful. And Coach Tuberville will be our nominee for governor.’ Stadthagen did not take questions from the news media, and the hearing was not open to the public.

Tuberville will face Democrat Doug Jones in the governor’s race in November. The party said it is time to ‘firmly close and lock this chapter and turn our full attention toward defeating liberal Democrat Doug Jones’ and ‘keeping Alabama the brightest red Republican state in the nation.’

Original reporting: Alabama News Network — read the source article.