CAMPAIGN 2026: Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth says he won’t run for governor

Photo from the Office of Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth

CAMPAIGN 2026: Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, seen as a potentially strong candidate for governor, says he will not run and will instead return to private life.

Ainsworth made the announcement early this morning on social media.

He said in part:

“After much prayer and many discussions with family, friends and supporters, I will not be a candidate for governor during the 2026 election cycle.”

Instead, he said he and his wife Kendall will focus on their children as he transitions to the private sector.

In his statement, Ainsworth listed his accomplishments as lieutenant governor and said he believed he kept his promise to be the hardest-working lieutenant governor in the state’s history. He had made a signature issue an effort to widen Interstate 65 to six lanes.

He said he will fulfill the remaining time in office, which will end in January 2027 and work with President Trump to elect a conservative governor and other Republican state leaders in the 2026 elections.

Ainsworth, a Republican from Marshall County, was elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He can’t serve a third consecutive term in that office due to term limits. He had previously served one term in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Besides Ainsworth, another potentially top-tier candidate for governor, Attorney General Steve Marshall, has also said he will not run for the state’s highest office. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is expected to make an announcement on his plans soon.

The Alabama primaries are May 19, 2026.