While many in the state have taken it as a virtual certainty that former Secretary of State John Merrill will vie for one of the several seats up for grabs in 2026, he claims to be still weighing options as the field begins to form.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) threw a wrench in the political cogs with his gubernatorial announcement. With rumors floating for months, many were waiting for the former Auburn Tigers coach to make it official. After last week, the campaign declarations have begun flooding in.
With Tuberville's announcement, a seat in the U.S. Senate has opened up for challengers. Since the last quadrennium, current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth has been seen by many in the state's political scene as a shoo-in for the next governor. After the Tuberville rumors became less than rumors, Ainsworth announced he would not seek any of the state's open positions, leaving both his current seat up for grabs and clearing the field for other potential candidates.
Although Merrill has been absent from elected office since 2023, his name has been floated for several of the state's open positions. Merrill had high praise for Tuberville as the likely next governor. However, he has yet to make a final decision regarding his political plans for 2026.
"I still haven't made a decision," Merrill said. "We're still talking to different people about different opportunities. You know, there's a number of those things that seem to be introducing themselves every day now, it seems like. So that's changing the dynamic of the landscape. But things are becoming a little bit clearer every day with certain people making certain decisions and choices in certain races. So that's moving in the right direction, but I still have not made a final decision."
"[Tuberville] caused some dominoes to fall in other places that they may not have fallen before. I think it's pretty clear he's the frontrunner for governor. He's going to be the governor. And I think he'll do a great job as the governor. He's a very attractive candidate for many reasons, and I think he has the potential to be one of the greatest governors in the state. If he surrounds himself with the kind of people that I think he will, then his service as our governor could be remarkable."
Initially, Merrill's name was thrown out as a hopeful candidate for Ainsworth's seat. However, he recently told 1819 News that, although he is still weighing options, the U.S. Senate is also a possibility.
"The Senate seat, that's one that people have introduced to me that I would be a quality candidate for, and the lieutenant governor's is one that I continue to consider, and it's wide open as you can tell," Merrill continued. There have actually been three polls done that I've seen, and all three had me as the lead guy in the race. So, I know it's wide open and I know I'd be strong."
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