Alabama Republican primary voters are overwhelmingly optimistic about the state’s direction and ready to hand current Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville a commanding victory in the governor’s race, according to exclusive polling conducted for Gray Television Alabama stations and the Alabama Daily News.
) - Alabama Republican primary voters are overwhelmingly optimistic about the state’s direction and ready to hand current Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville a commanding victory in the governor’s race, according to exclusive polling conducted for Gray Television Alabama stations and the Alabama Daily News .
The survey of 500 likely Republican primary voters found 69% said Alabama is headed in the right direction, while 22% said the state is on the wrong track. Tuberville dominates the gubernatorial ballot with 65% support, far ahead of Ken McFeeters at 7% and Will Santivasci at 3%. The former Auburn football coach and current U.S. senator holds commanding leads across every demographic group, age range and geographic region.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville sits down with WBRC after announcing he's running for governor of Alabama. Inflation and cost of living emerged as the top issue for Republican primary voters, with 28% naming it their most important concern heading into the May 19 primary election. Conservative values ranked second at 13%, followed by illegal immigration and border security at 11%. The poll revealed sharp demographic divides on issue priorities.
Women 65 and older were most concerned about inflation, with 36% naming it their top issue. Younger voters under 35 showed different priorities, with 55% focused on inflation but also expressing higher concern about conservative values and election integrity. Geographic differences also emerged. Voters in the Montgomery-Selma-Dothan corridor showed the highest concern about inflation at 37%, while Birmingham-area voters were more likely to prioritize conservative values at 18%.
“We know people are concerned about energy, electricity prices, their health care bills, stuff like that,” said Todd Stacy, publisher of the Alabama Daily News and host of Capitol Journal. “So I think all that gets lumped into cost of living and inflation. And so I’m not surprised to see that. What I have been surprised, though, at this election year so far, is that there hasn’t been a ton of campaign ads really targeting that message.
We know, this isn’t the first poll to show it, we know people really care about or are concerned about the economy and their own finances, their own costs going up. So it’s curious that not a ton of candidates have addressed that issue. I think it’d be wise for them to address that issue, tell them, you know, what can change in the future, what policies they can, you know, support that might bring those prices down.
”While Republicans overwhelmingly view Alabama as headed in the right direction, the survey found notable variation by ideology among GOP primary voters. Republican primary voters who identify as extremely conservative showed 76% saying right direction, compared to just 34% of Republican primary voters who identify as moderate or liberal. Men 65 and older were most optimistic about the state’s direction at 81%, while women under 65 were less enthusiastic at 68%.
Geographic patterns showed Montgomery-area voters most optimistic at 76%, while Birmingham voters were more divided with 66% saying right direction. A majority of Republican primary voters said an endorsement from President Donald Trump would influence their vote, but the impact varies significantly. Overall, 53% said a Trump endorsement would sway them positively, including 15% who said they would definitely vote for the Trump-endorsed candidate and 22% who would strongly consider it.
However, 32% said a Trump endorsement makes no difference to them, and 12% said they would vote for someone without Trump’s endorsement. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a charter school in The Villages, Fla. , Friday, May 1, 2026. The poll revealed a stark ideological divide on Trump’s influence among Republican primary voters.
Among GOP primary voters who identify as extremely conservative, 26% said they would definitely vote for a Trump-endorsed candidate, compared to just 2% of Republican primary voters who identify as moderate or liberal. Among voters who identify as Trump Republicans, 51% said they would definitely or strongly consider voting for a Trump-endorsed candidate, while 49% of traditional conservative Republicans said a Trump endorsement makes no difference or would push them away.
Geographic patterns showed Huntsville voters were most skeptical of Trump endorsements, with 17% saying they would vote against a Trump-endorsed candidate, the highest share of any media market in the state. Tuberville’s dominance in the governor’s race extends across all voter segments. He draws 82% support among Trump Republicans and 55% among traditional conservative Republicans. He leads with 74% among rural voters and 56% in urban areas.
The poll found Tuberville holds a net favorability rating of plus 47 points, with 69% viewing him favorably and 23% unfavorably. Trump maintains a plus 60 net favorability rating among Alabama Republican primary voters, with 79% viewing him favorably. The survey was conducted by Cygnal using online panel and text-to-web methods with known registered voters. Results were weighted to a likely 2026 Republican primary election voter universe.
Tommy Tuberville Governor Race Alabama Primary Election 2026 Alabama GOP Voters WBRC WBRC 6 Fox 6 Myfoxal WSFA WALA WAFF WTVY WTVM News Politics Political Political News Primary Elections May 19 Primary Alabama Daily News GOP Republican Election Alabama Alabama State Election Republican Primary Voters Alabama Voters Sen. Tommy Tuberville Alabama Governors Race Gray Television Alabama Stations Republican Primary Alabama Gubernational Race Ken Mcfeeters Will Santivasci Inflation May 19 Primary Election Conservative Values Illegal Immigration Border Security Election Integrity Montgomery-Selma-Sothan Corridor Birmingham-Area Alabama GOP Moderate Liberal Montgomery-Area President Donald Trump Trump-Endorsement Geographic Patterns Huntsville Cygnal 2026 Republican Primary
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