Alabama Democratic Party chairman Randy Kelley says he anticipates lawsuits challenging the eligibility of gubernatorial candidate U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and lieutenant governor candidate John Wahl for their respective offices, though it will not come from the state party.
Tuberville secured the nomination as the Republican Party's gubernatorial pick in this week's primary, while Wahl will face Secretary of State Wes Allen in a runoff election in June.
The Alabama Democratic Party issued a statement the same day Tuberville announced his run in May 2025, saying it would challenge his residency requirements in court.
Questions about Tuberville's residency have persisted since he ran for the U.S. Senate, with his opponents claiming he has not been an official resident of the state long enough to qualify for office. Those same accusations resurfaced after Tuberville announced his bid for governor.
The residency challenges involve claims that Tuberville's primary residence has been in Florida during his Senate career, which would place him far outside the required seven years of continuous residency required by the state Constitution to qualify for governor.
This week, Kelley told 1819 News that the party had been contacted by individuals interested in challenging Tuberville's residency. However, the Democratic Party would not be the one filing the suit.
Kelley would not detail the person or group anticipated to initiate the challenge. However, he stated the Democrats were not asked to be a party to it.
Most recently, Tuberville's Republican primary opponent, Ken McFeeters, filed a lawsuit challenging Tuberville's eligibility to run for office. A judge dismissed the case, seemingly because it lacked any measure of legal or intellectual rigidity.
Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee for governor, dismissed the McFeeters challenge, stating it was filed prematurely and in the wrong county.
Jones has similarly stated that he does not plan to file a challenge, saying, "We'll see what else gets filed," adding, "We're not planning to do anything about that, but I do think it's a hell of a political issue."
Tuberville has repeatedly blown off the stated concerns about his eligibility, boasting confidence that he is within the state's requirements to run for office.
Kelley also stated that the same party was interested in challenging the residency qualifications of Wahl, who previously served as the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP).
Wahl's residency became a subject after Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen financed a candidate challenge through former State Rep. Gil Isbell in January.
SEE ALSO: Wes Allen campaign bankrolled attempt to have Wahl disqualified from lieutenant governor race
The ALGOP steering committee narrowly rejected Isbell's challenge against Wahl in February.
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