Alabama GOP dismisses challenge to Tuberville’s governor candidacy

Alabama GOP dismisses residency challenge to Tuberville’s governor bid

The Alabama Republican Party Candidate Committee has dismissed a challenge questioning U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor, according to the party and the candidates involved. The dispute centered on whether Tuberville met Alabama’s seven-year residency requirement for gubernatorial candidates.

The challenge was filed by Ken McFeeters, who is seeking the Republican nomination to oppose Tuberville. The committee dismissed the filing on Sunday, and Tuberville’s campaign and McFeeters confirmed the decision on Monday.

Tuberville campaign chairman Jordan Doufexis described the outcome as a resolution to what he called a false residency claim. Doufexis said, “Finally, common sense has prevailed, and this made-up ‘residency’ hoax will be put to bed for good,” and the campaign said it provided the party “definitive proof that Sen. Tuberville has continuously lived in Alabama since 2019.”

McFeeters said the residency challenge was based on his belief that Tuberville lives in a multimillion-dollar beach home in Florida rather than in the smaller home Tuberville listed as his residence in Auburn. McFeeters said Tuberville’s campaign presented what he believed was insufficient evidence that Auburn was his true domicile.

In a Monday statement, McFeeters said he was considering filing a lawsuit to require Tuberville to release documentation proving his domicile in Auburn and not his Florida beach home. He said he wanted documentation showing he is domiciled in Auburn and not in the $6 million beach property.

Property tax records cited in the dispute show Tuberville has a home in Auburn with an appraised value of $291,780 on which he claims a homestead exemption. The records also describe a separate beach home in Walton County, Florida, with an estimated market value of $5.5 million.

The dispute also notes that Tuberville’s wife and son initially purchased the Florida home in 2017, and that the senator’s name was later added to the property.