GOP Rejects New Republican’s Challenge
The Alabama Republican Party has dismissed a formal complaint challenging the residency of Tommy Tuberville, clearing the Republican senator to continue his campaign for governor.
The challenge was filed by Ken McFeeters, an insurance agent and rival candidate in the GOP primary. McFeeters claims Tuberville does not meet Alabama’s constitutional residency requirement, alleging the senator primarily lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
McFeeters argued that Alabama voters deserve clarity about where candidates actually reside, especially when state law imposes strict eligibility rules for statewide office.
Tuberville’s campaign strongly denied the accusation, saying it submitted documentation to the state party proving the senator has continuously lived in Alabama since 2019. Campaign officials characterized the complaint as politically motivated and unsupported by the facts.
Campaign manager Jordan Doufexis said the ruling confirms that the residency issue lacks merit and should no longer distract from the governor’s race.
Before entering public office, Tuberville spent decades in college football, including a well-known tenure as head coach at Auburn University from 1999 through 2008. He later coached at Texas Tech University and the University of Cincinnati.
According to his campaign, Tuberville returned permanently to Alabama after leaving coaching. Since 2019, he has maintained an Alabama driver’s license, voted in the state, and lived in Auburn.
Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and began serving in January 2021.
Property records cited by the Associated Press show that Tuberville owns a primary residence in Auburn that qualifies for a homestead exemption. He also owns a beach home in Walton County, Florida. The Auburn property was originally purchased by his wife and son in 2017, with Tuberville later added to the deed.
The Alabama Constitution requires candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to have lived in the state for at least seven years prior to the election.
Despite the Alabama GOP’s decision, McFeeters said he remains dissatisfied. In a statement posted to Facebook, he argued that the party declined to conduct an independent review of residency records and instead relied on information submitted by the campaign.
McFeeters warned that the ruling could weaken enforcement of Alabama’s residency requirements if candidates are allowed to maintain multiple properties across state lines.
He said he plans to pursue legal action, seeking court-ordered access to objective records such as travel history, financial transactions, tax filings, and utility usage to determine whether the residency requirement has been met.
The dispute adds another layer of scrutiny to a closely watched Republican primary as Alabama voters prepare to choose their next governor.
