A.J. McCarron Announces Run for Alabama Lieutenant Governor in 2026

MOBILE, Ala. — A.J. McCarron, a former Alabama national championship-winning quarterback, announced Thursday that he is running for lieutenant governor of Alabama in 2026. The Mobile native and former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback aims to bring fresh perspectives to state politics.

McCarron, who previously considered a run for the U.S. Senate, will face competition in the lieutenant governor race from Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, and a pastor and commercial realtor from Opelika. Former Secretary of State John Merrill has also been speculated to be interested in joining the race.

“When Coach Saban recruited me to play quarterback for the University of Alabama, he taught me the principles of being a leader,” McCarron stated. “Together we won back-to-back national championships, and my NFL experiences reinforced the importance of achieving goals bigger than ourselves.”

McCarron emphasized his dedication to Alabama, stating, “My roots run deep here. With my football career behind me, Katherine and I are raising our boys in Alabama, instilling our Christian faith and teaching them the fundamental morals that make this state special.”

McCarron expressed strong opinions about conservative values in Alabama, mentioning the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk as a motivating factor for his candidacy. “Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction. Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us deeply,” he said. “His example convinced me to get off the sidelines and stand tall for our conservative beliefs.”

The candidate also noted his endorsement of former President Trump during the 2016 campaign and referred to current Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn football coach, as a prominent figure in the upcoming gubernatorial race. “When Coach Tuberville is governor, I’ll be the quarterback who helps pass his conservative, outsider agenda,” he announced.

The primary election for the lieutenant governor’s race is scheduled for May 19, 2026. McCarron, a recognized athlete from St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, was a starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide during their BCS national championship wins in 2011 and 2012. He won the Maxwell Award for the outstanding college player in the 2013 season and was a Heisman Trophy finalist that year.

After playing his last football game in 2024 with the United Football League’s St. Louis Battlehawks, McCarron has since utilized various media platforms to discuss football, contributing to a podcast alongside former Alabama All-American Trent Richardson and Crimson Tide announcer Chris Stewart. This marks McCarron’s first official foray into politics, following his recent interest in the Mobile mayoral race.