As Democrats continue to hammer U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) with questions about his residency and how it might impact his decision to run for governor, a closer look at public tax records could finally dispel those alleged concerns.
As first reported by Alabama Daily News (ADN) and confirmed by 1819 News, online public tax records show a homestead exemption for the Tubervilles’ home in Auburn dating back to 2018. This would put Tuberville’s residency within the seven-year requirement for running for governor.
The records for 2024 show an H1 exemption on the home on Cherry Street, which the Tubervilles purchased in 2018. According to Lee County Revenue Commissioner’s website, homestead exemption applications must be filed between “October 1st and December 31st of the year purchased.”
Tuberville’s wife and son, Susan and Tucker, were listed as the owners from 2018 to 2024. However, per the 2025 tax record, the son's name has been removed and replaced by Tuberville’s, and the homestead exemption is listed as an H4 for residents age 65 or older.
Tuberville told ADN his time coaching at Auburn, dating back to 1999, would also count toward his residency, arguing that the State Constitution doesn’t specify the seven years need to be consecutive.
Section 117 of the Constitution states:
The governor and lieutenant governor shall each be at least thirty years of age when elected, and shall have been citizens of the United States ten years and resident citizens of this state at least seven years next before the date of their election.
However, the Alabama governor’s website states that the candidate must have been “a resident of Alabama for at least seven years immediately preceding election.”
While he does own two properties in Florida, the Walton County Appraiser's Office confirmed that Tuberville has not filed a homestead exemption for either property in the last seven years, ADN reported.
Tuberville told 1819 News in March that he had already looked at the residency requirement and saw no issues affecting a possible gubernatorial run.
"I've been a United States Senator representing the state of Alabama for the last four years, with two more years remaining. There's no problem with that,” he said. “We looked at that six, seven years ago. It's just people that are probably, maybe wanting to run for governor. Hey, if you want to run, go run. Go run on your abilities, not try to trick somebody else. But there's nothing to that."
Tuberville recently told ADN that he was still "100%" confident in his eligibility for governor.
“I wouldn’t even be thinking about this if I wasn’t," he said.
Since state law does not define residency, ALGOP communications director Jeannie Burniston told ADN a homestead exemption would be something to potentially consider in determining eligibility.
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