MOBILE, Ala. (WSFA) - Former Alabama and NFL quarterback AJ McCarron is running for lieutenant governor in 2026.
McCarron, a Mobile native, made the announcement Thursday that he’s running to be the Republican candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor.
“Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction,” McCarron said in his announcement. “That’s why Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us so deeply. His example convinced me to get off of the sidelines, get into the game, and stand tall for our conservative beliefs, so today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.”
McCarron, as starting quarterback, helped lead the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national championships in 2012 and 2013. He entered the NFL Draft in 2014, and played a total of nine seasons in the league.
In 2016, McCarron publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president and “credits the 45th and 47th president with inspiring him to run for elected office,” a press release from his campaign said.
He currently works as a college football analyst and co-owns McCarron Real Estate with his wife, Katherine Webb McCarron, who won Miss Alabama USA in 2012. They live in Mobile and have three sons.
“The Montgomery insiders and career politicians have had their chance. It’s time for political newcomers and outsider candidates like me to lead the battle,” he said. “When Coach Tuberville is governor, I’ll be the quarterback who helps pass his conservative outsider agenda.”
Alabama’s 2026 primary election is May 19.
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