Overview
- Jones formally kicked off his campaign at The Theodore in Birmingham at a rally featuring a performance and endorsement from Grammy winner Jason Isbell.
- He centered his platform on creating a state lottery and expanding Medicaid, arguing the state has pressing health care, economic and education needs.
- Jones criticized the use of federal pandemic relief money for a $1.2 billion prison project and faulted Tuberville for opposing Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions.
- He framed the contest as a likely rematch with Tuberville, whom he lost to in 2020, and questioned the senator’s residency as part of his contrast message.
- The governor’s office is open in 2026 because Gov. Kay Ivey is term-limited, and both parties face May primaries in a state where Democrats have struggled statewide and Jones remains their most recent winner.