MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Tuesday that he won’t run for governor in 2026, removing his name from the list of possible candidates eyeing the highest state office.
The Republican attorney general said he made the decision last month after discussing it with his wife.
“Definitely not running for governor. Tammy and I talked a lot over the year and then made the decision over Thanksgiving that it just didn’t seem to be a good next step for us,” Marshall said.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who has been the state’s governor since 2017, is in her final term in office. The end of her lengthy tenure is expected to draw a crowded field of candidates seeking the governor’s office in the 2026 election. Marshall, who has been the state’s attorney general since 2017, had been mentioned as a possible contender.
Marshall, who is also in his final term as attorney general, said his decision does not mean he is done with politics and public service.
“It’s just I am definitely not going to seek the role of governor and then we’ll see what plays out,” he said.
He said he has had conversations with the incoming Trump administration but does not plan to leave his current role as attorney general.
“They’ve been gracious to talk about what may be next there, but I made the commitment to the folks in Alabama to be here for this term. I’m very lucky and love being attorney general. And so, my intentions are to stay in this role and continue to do what we’ve done for the last eight years,” Marshall said.
As attorney general, Marshall banded with other Republican states in filing lawsuits challenging multiple policies of the Biden administration. His office also led the development of Alabama's use of nitrogen gas as an execution method. Alabama in 2024 became the first state to use the new execution method. Marshall said additional nitrogen executions are planned in 2025.