It never fails to amaze me the lengths that politicians will go to bend the truth or break the law to tell a lie. Do they really think that we are that stupid? I am the first one to admit that my math skills are the worst. I can make a mistake with a calculator. However, I am not so stupid when it comes to comprehension. I understand if a person votes in one state and claims to live in another, that’s fraud!
It isn’t bad enough that Tommy Tuberville was elected to the Senate in Alabama, but now he wants to be our Governor! Call me selfish, but shouldn’t a Senator or Representative actually reside in the state that they represent? For example, Robert Aderholt. He has been in the House of Representatives for District 4 for years, yet he has not lived in this State, much less District 4, in years. He actually lives in Arlington, Virginia, in a 5,305 sq foot, 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom home with an estimated property value of over $2 million. Alabama law says that he must reside in the State and the District for “one day.” Mr Aderholt has a “residence” in Haleyville that he uses as his address, however, it is not his “primary” residence. Upon information and belief, he votes in Alabama.
Alabama law is clear that Mr Tubberville must reside in the State of Alabama for seven years to qualify to run for governor. Tuberville claims that he has a residence in Auburn, Alabama, however, Tuberville has not lived in Auburn, Alabama since he left his coaching job at Auburn University. The Tubervilles have had a homestead exemption on their home on Cherry Street since they purchased it in 2018, that is in the name of Tuberville’s wife, Suzanne, and their son Tucker, not Tommy Tuberville. Property records show that Tommy and Suzanne Tuberville have owned a beachfront home in Santa Rosa Beach for nearly two decades. But 2018 was the last year the Tubervilles claimed a homestead exemption there. By 2019, it was removed.
Tuberville first came to Alabama in 1999, when he was hired to be Auburn’s head football coach. He remained in that job through 2008, later coaching at Texas Tech and Cincinnati and retiring from coaching in 2016. Tuberville said his prior residency, going back to 1999, would count toward the seven-year requirement. He has resided in two other states since then.
Senator Tommy Tuberville no longer possesses any property in the State of Alabama. The Washington Post reported that Tuberville has sold the last of his properties in Alabama, Tiger Farms LLC, which sits in Macon and Tallapoosa counties just outside of Auburn, for just over $1 million. Property records show that he has owned a $3 million beachfront home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, for around 20 years.
Tuberville also votes in the State of Florida, not in the State of Alabama. If he claimed residence in Alabama and voted in Florida, that would be voter fraud. May 24, 2017, Tuberville registered to vote in Florida. In October 2018, he claimed the homestead exemption on that first house in Auburn. On November 6, 2018, Tuberville voted in Florida while claiming he lived in Alabama with the homestead exemption. March 28, 2019, Tuberville registered to vote in Alabama. In 2020, as Tuberville was running for Senator, both Jeff Sessions and Doug Jones questioned his residency. In August 2023, a Washington Post investigation showed that Tuberville had sold all of his property in Alabama and that his wife was registered as a real estate agent in Florida, but not in Alabama.
There are 4 types of homestead exemptions in Alabama. They have to be renewed each year to get the break on property and income taxes. Tuberville appears to be saying all three residences are his primary residence. That’s fraud. What do his federal income taxes show versus his state income tax? Did he file in Alabama or Florida? These questions can be answered in records like tax returns, property deeds, and mortgages, among other things.
The Alabama Republican Party may not just assume Tuberville is qualified. But here we’re talking about eligibility. If, for some reason, the Alabama Republicans decide to put him on the ballot, Democrat or Libertarian candidates will challenge. He will go through the court process that is all too likely to prove that not only is he not a resident of Alabama, but also a felon for both voting fraud and tax evasion.
It looks like the facts tell us that Tuberville has not lived in Alabama for seven years, nor did he vote in Alabama. We have a United States Senator representing the State of Alabama who is not an Alabama resident, who now wants to be our governor. Of course, if he is taken to court and convicted of these two possible felonies, what do the Republicans care? They elected a convicted felon to the White House, so do you think they will blink about a felon representing Alabama in the governor’s mansion?
Lynda Kirkpatrick