MONTGOMERY – The game of musical chairs in Alabama politics in 2026 is off-and-running after last week's news that U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is interested in being Alabama's next governor.
Gov. Kay Ivey is term-limited. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate was previously considering a run for governor but told 1819 News on Tuesday he'd likely run for a different statewide office if Tuberville does run for governor in 2026.
"We still haven't gotten to a point where I've decided to do anything. I haven't hired anybody. Just thinking about it, it looked like it was making sense. I was thinking about governor, but then I talked to Tuberville. We were both on the same flight to Washington (D.C.) and it got delayed. [He] and I walked off for about 30 minutes and he told me he was probably running. He told me in January, 'Yeah, I'm probably 50/50.' Then two weeks ago he said, 'Yeah, I'm probably running.' Yeah, I wouldn't run against him. The name recognition he has, plus he's done a good job as far as being conservative and the positions he's taken. I thought there was a lane there. It's not like I'm even disappointed because I'm not the kid who grew up wanting to be governor or president. This kind of just fell in my lap, being commissioner," Pate said.
Pate was first elected as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in 2018.
"My wife and I really went into it, saying, 'The kids are out of college, they're doing well. Let's put $100,000 of our money into this and let's travel the state. I think this will be fun as heck to do for about a year.' You know, meet people. It kind of gets ugly towards the end when it looks like you're going to win. The only way to not be criticized is to look like you're going to lose and everybody leaves you alone," Pate said.
Pate won re-election to his current role in 2022. He hasn't made a decision yet about his 2026 plans.
"I told Coach (Tuberville), 'You know, I'm not disappointed at all because I never thought that was my life's goal.' I might do something else. I did tell Wes Allen because I had told him I was not going to run for lieutenant governor. He was here, it was before I had the conversation with Tuberville. We had the Board of Registrars meeting here, and so he was in the building, and I told him to hang around, let's talk. I told him, 'If Tuberville does run, I guess I'm going to run for lieutenant governor but I'll wait until May to see what Tuberville does.' I just feel like I've got something left to give. No decision has been made. I haven't hired anybody, talked to a consultant, anything," Pate said.
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