Democrat Doug Jones has announced his platform for the 2026 Alabama governor’s race, focusing on healthy lives, meaningful participation in government, and economic prosperity. Speaking in Birmingham, Jones identified these opportunities as key to his campaign.

Platform Details

Jones’ campaign platform is built around Medicaid expansion, affordability, government reform, AI and data center regulation, education, and protections for families. He promised to work to bring people together, stating that the real villain in Alabama is not neighbors who may pray or look differently, but rather the small circle of people who have grown rich and comfortable off a system that keeps people focused on fearing each other.

One of the hottest issues in the campaign is the rapid development of AI data centers across the state, with two currently proposed in West Alabama. Jones countered Tommy Tuberville’s dismissal of residential concerns, calling for a one-year moratorium to halt data center development until guardrails and policies are in place to protect people and communities.

Healthcare and Government Reform

Jones’ healthcare expansion goal is based on a need to expand Medicaid to cover working families, improve maternal and infant health outcomes, and improve mental health outcomes. His government reforms would include a citizen-led ballot initiative process, expansion of local government authority, and protection of access to in vitro fertilization and contraception.

Jones also addressed his economic plan, which would eliminate the remaining state grocery tax, remove state taxes on tips and overtime pay, make childcare more affordable, address housing affordability, raise Alabama’s minimum wage, and increase support for small businesses and organized labor.

Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.