Alabama's state leaders are taking a victory lap after the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) recently dismissed an attempt to put an end to the gubernatorial ambitions of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn).
ALGOP chairman Scott Stadthagen announced the decision after a Sunday afternoon hearing between Tuberville's attorneys and a candidate who Tuberville handily vanquished in the Republican primary last month, Ken McFeeters.
McFeeters claimed that Tuberville did not meet the residency requirements to be Alabama's next governor.
Both sides were allowed 45 minutes to make their case. McFeeters took the full 45 minutes; Tuberville's team did not. The committee then deliberated and unanimously decided to reject the challenge.
This is likely not the final challenge Tuberville faces from McFeeters, who has been pursuing this avenue for months, even attempting to challenge Tuberville's residency in a court with no jurisdiction.
After the ruling, Tuberville didn't mention McFeeters; rather, he put the entire "residency hoax" at the feet of the media and his Democratic opponents.
That sentiment was shared by several members of Alabama's political leadership, including Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who praised the decision and reiterated his endorsement of Tuberville's candidacy.
"The ALGOP reaffirmed today what we all already knew - Coach Tuberville is an Alabamian to his core," Ainsworth wrote on social media. "Anyone who argues otherwise is rooting for Doug Jones and the liberal Democrats who want to turn Alabama into a Socialist state like California. Let's elect Coach in November!"
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) equally praised ALGOP's decision, calling the challenge "nonsense."
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