Campaign finance records published by WBRC reveal that Tommy Tuberville has brought in approximately $11 million more than Democratic challenger Doug Jones in the race for Alabama governor, with the two bids sustained by distinct contributor pools.
Prior to the general election, WBRC examined the financial disclosures and outlays filed by each campaign with the Alabama Secretary of State through Oct. 27, 2026. Tuberville’s campaign reported its first contributions on May 27, 2025, about six months before Jones entered the race on Nov. 24, 2025. Since then, Tuberville has raised about $17.7 million, while Jones has raised more than $6.7 million.
How the Alabama Governor’s Race Funding Compares
The two fundraising operations reveal starkly different approaches to amassing campaign cash. Donors who gave $5,000 or more to Tuberville’s campaign account for 87% of his money, with about 40 individuals giving $100,000 or more each. For Jones, contributions of $5,000 or more account for roughly 19% of his total funds, and about 40% came in gifts of $100 or less. No single Jones donor has given $100,000 or more.
| Donor Type | Tuberville | Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals | $8,821,394 | $6,613,760 |
| Businesses | $8,030,361 | $76,235 |
| PACs | $703,612 | $71,810 |
| Unspecified | $175,097 | $1,477 |
| Total | $17,730,465 | $6,763,283 |
Individual donors gave Tuberville about $8.8 million, or roughly half of his total funds, while businesses contributed $8 million and PACs provided $704,000, combining for about 49%. For Jones, individuals supplied about 98% of the money, with businesses and PACs accounting for just 2%.
Where the Money Comes From and Late PAC Cash
Geographically, about 80% of each candidate’s itemized money originates within Alabama. Jones has received $3.88 million from in-state donors and $985,746 from out of state. Tuberville has taken in $13.9 million from in-state donors and $3.3 million from out of state. Birmingham stands as the top fundraising city for both candidates, with Tuberville pulling $2.4 million from the city followed by Montgomery and Mobile, while Jones raised $1.46 million in Birmingham followed by Huntsville.
Most of Tuberville’s political action committee support arrived in the final week of reporting. In filings submitted on Oct. 26 and 27, four PACs contributed $350,000 in cash: Tiger Paw PAC gave $150,000, the Alabama Builders PAC provided $100,000, the Alabama Medical PAC added $75,000, and Nucor’s PAC chipped in $25,000. ProgressPAC, the political arm of the Business Council of Alabama, paid $229,883 for a mailer and advertising supporting Tuberville, reported as in-kind contributions. In contrast, Jones’ reports filed from Oct. 25 through 27 include just two PAC gifts totaling $1,100.
Where the Millions Went
Both campaigns funneled more than half of their total spending to a single media vendor. Tuberville’s campaign has spent more than $15.1 million since May 2025, with about $8.6 million of that total going to Go Big Media LLC of Washington, D.C., for advertising. Jones has spent more than $6.2 million, with 52% going to Lever Communications, rising to 54% when including payments to its affiliate, Joe Trippi and Associates, a firm listed in a Colorado state disclosure as Lever Communications Inc. dba Joe Trippi and Associates.
| Category | Tuberville | Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | $9,271,301 | $2,552,705 |
| Consultants/Polling | $2,977,306 | $2,237,721 |
| Fundraising | $1,096,282 | $768,171 |
| Administrative | $212,815 | $559,579 |
| Transportation | $1,046,476 | $11,743 |
| Lodging | $225,258 | $53,046 |
| Other | $292,144 | $71,856 |
| Total | $15,121,582 | $6,254,822 |
Spending for both operations heavily concentrated in the final stretch. September and October accounted for about $10 million of Tuberville’s expenditures and about $4 million of Jones’ spending, representing roughly 64% of each campaign’s total outlay. Tuberville averaged about $362,000 a month from January through August 2026 before ramping up to $4.1 million in September and $5.9 million in October. Throughout August, Jones maintained a monthly average near $277,000, subsequently disbursing upwards of $1.4 million in September and exceeding $2.5 million in October.
As the race moves to its conclusion, campaign finance records filed with the Alabama Secretary of State show Tuberville holding about $2.2 million in cash on hand, while Jones reports approximately $508,461 remaining.
