A.J. McCarron Enters Alabama Lt. Governor Race

Former Alabama quarterback and former NFL player A.J. McCarron announced on Oct. 23, 2025, that he is running as a Republican for lieutenant governor of Alabama, releasing a campaign video that framed him as a political outsider bringing leadership lessons from football to public service. McCarron said the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and what he described as attacks on Alabama’s "conservative and cultural values" compelled him to "get off the sidelines," and he cited his 2016 endorsement of Donald Trump and alignment with Tommy Tuberville’s outsider agenda. He highlighted his Mobile roots, family life, current work as a college football analyst and co‑ownership of McCarron Real Estate while pitching himself as a challenge to Montgomery insiders and career politicians. McCarron enters a crowded GOP primary for the May 19, 2026 state primary that includes Secretary of State Wes Allen, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, pastor Dean Odle and businessperson Nicole Jones Wadsworth. The campaign rollout centers on conservative themes and name recognition from his national‑championship college career and professional football background.