Alabama governor’s election: Poll shows surprisingly close race between Doug Jones and Tuberville

A fresh political survey has sent ripples through the Alabama gubernatorial race, suggesting a closer contest than many anticipated between U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and former Sen. Doug Jones.

Tightening the Gap

While Tuberville, who defeated Jones in the 2020 Senate race by capturing 61% of the vote, enters the race as the clear favorite, recent data shows Jones maintaining significant traction. The survey indicates Jones currently polling at 41% against Tuberville’s 49%. For Alabama Democrats, such a showing would be a monumental shift compared to recent cycles; in 2022, Yolanda Flowers took 29% against Gov. Kay Ivey, and in 2018, Walt Maddox earned over 40% against Ivey’s nearly 60%.

Katherine Robertson, the GOP candidate for Attorney General, dismissed the significance of the poll in a social media post, stating, “This would be an underperformance, to say the least. (Republicans) in Alabama are coming in full force in November.” The same poll placed Robertson at 47% compared to Democrat Jeffrey McLaughlin’s 31%, while in the Senate race, Rep. Barry Moore leads Democrat Everett Wess 47% to 32%.

The School Choice Factor

The survey, conducted by the Yes Every Kid Foundation, highlights that Jones's performance is heavily contingent on how he maneuvers around the popular CHOOSE Act. This program, which provides families with up to $7,000 for private or home school education, recently saw a record number of applications for the 2026-27 school year, with the state set to distribute roughly $174 million in public funds.

The data suggests that 70% of respondents view the CHOOSE Act favorably, with many indicating a preference for candidates who support giving families more control over their children’s education. Tuberville has campaigned as a staunch advocate for school choice, arguing that competition forces public schools to improve.

In contrast, Jones expressed skepticism during a recent town hall in Huntsville, citing concerns over fiscal impact and accountability. “Choice is all good; I think it’s a great concept,” Jones said, while noting he would prefer to phase out the program. “But when you are taking money right now from public schools and giving them to schools that don’t have any accountability in the state and no standards... you don’t know where that money is going.”

The survey polled 601 respondents and carries a margin of error of 4%.