A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that challenged U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's eligibility to run for governor of Alabama, citing a lack of jurisdiction to decide the matter before the general election.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid ruled that she did not have the authority to determine a party's nominee's eligibility prior to the general election, according to the Associated Press. The lawsuit contended that Tuberville, the Republican nominee for governor, does not meet the Alabama Constitution's seven-year residency requirement to hold the office.
Tuberville, who has represented Alabama in the Senate since 2021, is facing Democratic candidate Doug Jones in a rematch of their 2020 Senate race. The lawsuit was brought by two voters who alleged Tuberville lives in a $5.6 million beach home in Florida, rather than a property in Auburn, Alabama.
Attorneys for Tuberville praised the decision, with campaign chairman Jordan Doufexis calling the lawsuit "bogus" and "desperate."
Barry Ragsdale, an attorney for the voters who filed the suit, stated that he plans to appeal the decision. "Everyone who has viewed the credible evidence knows that Tuberville really lives in a $5 million gated mansion on the beach in Florida and not in that tiny house behind a strip mall in Auburn," Ragsdale said. He added, "We are confident that, if given a fair opportunity to present that evidence in court, we could easily establish that Tuberville is lying about where he lives and is ineligible to serve as governor."
Property tax records indicate that Tuberville and his wife own a Florida beach home valued at $5.6 million. His campaign states that Tuberville resides at a 1,551-square-foot property in Auburn with an appraised value of approximately $291,780. This Auburn home was initially purchased by his wife and son, with Tuberville's name added to the property deed in 2024.
Tuberville previously served as the head football coach at Auburn University from 1999 to 2008 before coaching at Texas Tech and the University of Cincinnati. After retiring from coaching, he worked for ESPN, and a 2017 promotional video mentioned his move to Florida after coaching. Tuberville has stated that he has since returned to Alabama.
In June, the Alabama Republican Party rejected a similar challenge to Tuberville's eligibility, citing his property, tax, and voting records. Voting records show Tuberville last cast a ballot in Florida in November 2018. He registered to vote in Alabama on March 28, 2019, shortly before announcing his Senate campaign.