Election Day, Nov 3 9 daysSenate D 78%House D 93%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 25

How healthy is each campaign, and how does each side win? A health score for both campaigns in every Senate, governor and contested House race, and the path to victory for each side.

Governor · Alabama · open seat

Alabama Governor

Doug Jones vs Tommy Tuberville

ForecastR +15.8
Democrat<1%
Republican>99%
RatingSafe R
Full forecast
Brief me as

Neutral view. Pick a side and the War Room briefs you as that campaign's operative.

Vital signs

Campaign health, 0 to 100, from public money, outside spending, ballots and activity
DemocratDoug JonesCritical
260100
  • Money weight 2527

    Raised $5.9M against $15.7M for Tommy Tuberville.

  • Cash weight 2025

    $2.2M in the bank against $6.5M for Tommy Tuberville.

  • Activity weight 1025

    1 mention on shows and podcasts in two weeks.

RepublicanTommy TubervilleStable
650100
  • Money weight 2573

    Raised $15.7M against $5.9M for Doug Jones.

  • Cash weight 2075

    $6.5M in the bank against $2.2M for Doug Jones.

  • Activity weight 1025

    1 mention on shows and podcasts in two weeks.

How each side wins

From the forecast, the polls, the county map, voter groups, money and ballots
If you work for Doug Jones
  1. Close the gap

    Doug Jones trails by 15.8 and wins 1% of simulations. Closing it takes about 136,009 voters switching sides, or 272,017 more net votes from new turnout.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between R +23.5 and R +8.0. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is R +11.2. Your best recent poll is Cygnal (R) for Gray Media and Alabama Daily News at R +10.1; your worst is Napolitan News Service/RMG Research for Alabama Policy Action (R) at R +11.2. 2 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Democrats: Jefferson, a projected net 81,841 votes; Montgomery, a projected net 31,592 votes; Madison, a projected net 15,469 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Madison, D +10.7, 8.5% of the vote; Mobile, D +3.1, 7.7% of the vote; Tuscaloosa, R +0.4, 3.9% of the vote; Russell, D +11.8, 0.9% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Doug Jones runs furthest behind in Marshall, DeKalb, Blount. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 62% of voters, 41 to 59, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.12 points; Voters who find daily costs hard to afford, 61% of voters, 51 to 49, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.04 points; Voters without a degree, 61% of voters, 42 to 57, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.04 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Doug Jones: Immigration voters 16 to 84, White voters 27 to 72, Small counties 32 to 66. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $2.2M cash against $6.5M. Outspent: lean on earned media, digital, field and the outside groups, and pick the two or three media markets that decide it.

  10. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 0.2 points away from Doug Jones. Election Day has to make it up: the remaining vote must break harder your way than the forecast expects.

  11. Tommy Tuberville's strongest asset

    Cash: $6.5M in the bank against $2.2M for Doug Jones.

If you work for Tommy Tuberville
  1. Protect the lead

    Tommy Tuberville leads by 15.8 in the forecast and wins 99% of simulations. The cushion is about 272,017 votes; a one point swing is about 8,581 voters changing sides.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between R +8.0 and R +23.5. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is R +11.2. Your best recent poll is Napolitan News Service/RMG Research for Alabama Policy Action (R) at R +11.2; your worst is Cygnal (R) for Gray Media and Alabama Daily News at R +10.1. 2 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Republicans: Baldwin, a projected net 41,911 votes; Cullman, a projected net 24,122 votes; Marshall, a projected net 20,250 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Madison, D +10.7, 8.5% of the vote; Mobile, D +3.1, 7.7% of the vote; Tuscaloosa, R +0.4, 3.9% of the vote; Russell, D +11.8, 0.9% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Tommy Tuberville runs furthest behind in Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Madison. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 62% of voters, 59 to 41, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.12 points; Voters who find daily costs hard to afford, 61% of voters, 49 to 51, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.04 points; Voters without a degree, 61% of voters, 57 to 42, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.04 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Tommy Tuberville: Black voters 20 to 79, 2024 nonvoters and third party voters 34 to 64, Large counties 39 to 59. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $6.5M cash against $2.2M. Spend it early on persuasion television in the battleground counties and keep a reserve for the last week.

  10. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 0.2 points toward Tommy Tuberville. Bank it: chase the remaining mail ballots and low propensity voters who have not voted.

  11. Doug Jones's strongest asset

    Money: Raised $5.9M against $15.7M for Tommy Tuberville.

The map for Jones

County projections from the forecast
Vote banksWhere the biggest net margins come from
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
JeffersonD +34.613.8%+81,841
MontgomeryD +43.04.3%+31,592
MadisonD +10.78.5%+15,469
DallasD +44.70.8%+5,879
BattlegroundsLarge counties within 12 points
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
MadisonD +10.78.5%+15,469
MobileD +3.17.7%+4,140
TuscaloosaR +0.43.9%-273
RussellD +11.80.9%+1,852
Behind the 2024 mapRunning furthest behind the last presidential vote
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
MarshallR +68.81.7%-20,250
DeKalbR +70.81.2%-15,118
BlountR +77.31.2%-15,730

The coalition

Jones against Tuberville among the groups that can move it, from the forecast's voter group estimates
Swing groups
  • Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 202463% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.1
    4159
  • Voters who find daily costs hard to afford61% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.0
    5149
  • Voters without a degree61% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.0
    4257
  • Women52% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.6
    4554
Weakest groups
  • Immigration voters12% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.6
    1684
  • White voters69% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.5
    2772
  • Small counties26% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 1.3
    3267
JonesTuberville

Scouting report

From the Watchdog people files, each line with its source
Doug Jones

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

Tommy Tuberville

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

The forecast

Margin over recent runs
R +15.8D +2.021 runs agonow
Now
R +15.8
8 in 10 land between
R +8.0 and R +23.5
Polling average
R +11.2
Partisan lean
R +29.4
Early vote effect
R +0.2

Recent polls

Last 45 days
PollsterDays agoSampleResult
Cygnal (R) for Gray Media and Alabama Daily News0500 LVR +10.1
Napolitan News Service/RMG Research for Alabama Policy Action (R)20800 RVR +11.2

Money and the air war

Latest reports
JonesTuberville
Raised$5.9M$15.7M
Spentn/an/a
Cash on hand$2.2M$6.5M
Outside money forn/an/a
Google adsn/an/a
Follow the money

The early vote

Statewide

No early vote data for Alabama yet.

Media watch

Who is putting this race in front of an audience
  • 2026-10-22
    Kyle Kondik analyst

    Sabato's Crystal Ball moved the Alabama governor race between Tommy Tuberville and Doug Jones from Safe Republican to Likely Republican. Source

Media watch

On the trail

Rallies and events, newest first

No stops logged yet for this race.

Races that move with this one

When the polls miss here, they tend to miss there too