2026 Governor’s Race Has Begun
OPINION —
Alabama’s original 1901 Constitution had a law whereby the governor could only serve one four-year term and not succeed themselves. In 1968 the law was changed, and since then the governor and all other constitutional offices in the state can now serve two consecutive terms.
This “one term and you are done” law made for a very interesting, anticipated and competitive governor’s race every four years. They could begin four years in advance in earnest, and they would begin.
Since Kay Ivey will be serving her second elected term, she cannot run four years from now. Therefore, we have setting up an old-timey, open governor’s race in 2026, and it has already begun.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth has already been running for four years and has ramped up a reelection game plan for his next four years as lieutenant governor. He will be tough to beat.
Ainsworth was elected lieutenant governor in 2018 at the ripe old age of 36. He began running for governor the day after he won the GOP primary that year — even before he was inaugurated in January 2019. I have never seen anyone in recent years as dedicated and focused on grabbing the brass ring of Alabama politics as young Ainsworth. He is almost as dedicated as George Wallace.
Wallace’s whole world and every part of his being was dedicated to being elected governor of Alabama. He campaigned seven days a week, 12 hours a day and hardly saw or cared for his family for four years. He campaigned relentlessly. His devotion paid off with a victory in 1962 and subsequent conquests later.
Young Ainsworth does not have this total devotion, nor should he or anyone else. Ainsworth is a devoted family man. His family and church come first. Being governor is not his god. He is the ultimate father to his twin sons, Hunter and Hays, and his daughter, Abbie. He and his wife Kendall are committed to loving and caring for their children. They go to all ballgames and church- and school-related events with them in Guntersville. At the State of the State Address four years ago, he had his two sons with him. They have impeccable manners. They looked me right in the eye with a smile and firm handshake and said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Flowers.” Ainsworth had one of his sons with him when he spoke at the Trump rally in the summer of 2021. He had been to his son’s ballgame in Cullman that morning and then brought him to the rally.
When Ainsworth spoke at the Mid-Alabama Republican Club in Vestavia last July, his daughter was with him. Ainsworth is campaigning all over the state. He is at ribbon cuttings and chambers of commerce events from Dothan to Huntsville.
He hails from Sand Mountain in vote-rich North Alabama. His father has done well financially, however, his mama has instilled in Ainsworth the desire to serve in politics. She is very astute, active politically and more gregarious than Ainsworth’s father.
There are others lining up to run who do not fear Ainsworth nor his family’s money. Interestingly, the two major potential threats to Ainsworth in the four-years-away governor’s race are from North Alabama. Attorney General Steve Marshall and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle would make a strong threat to Ainsworth’s perceived frontrunner status.
Ironically, Marshall and Ainsworth are both from Marshall County. If the attorney general makes the move, he would be a viable candidate. He won his second term in this year’s GOP primary, impressively. He has to move up or sideways or out. An intra-county race would be interesting. Marshall bears watching.
Battle, the mayor of Huntsville, would be the most formidable candidate that Ainsworth could face. However, I do not think Battle is interested in running. Being the mayor of Huntsville is probably a better job than being governor of Alabama.
However, the biggest obstacle in Ainsworth’s run for governor may be someone you have never heard of. There are probably some rich folks sitting back privately contemplating a run for governor. That unknown rich person may be the one to watch. We will see.
Four years seems a long way off, but the 2026 governor’s race has begun.
See you next week.
Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Flowers may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.