ALGOP agrees to hear Tuberville residency challenge; Tuberville camp begins pushback The Alabama Republican Party has agreed to hold a hearing on Tommy Tuberville’s residency status, a development that has shifted the focus of the state’s gubernatorial race. Ken McFeeters, the Republican primary candidate defeated by Tuberville in May, had long contested the senator’s eligibility to run for governor, arguing that Tuberville failed to meet Alabama’s seven-year residency requirement. On Monday, the party’s candidate committee surprised McFeeters by confirming a hearing would take place on June 13 or 14 at the law firm Balch & Bingham in Birmingham. McFeeters described the decision as “completely shocking,” marking a significant departure from the party’s previous stance of dismissing his challenges. Tuberville’s campaign had largely ignored McFeeters’ claims, including a post-qualification challenge McFeeters filed, which the party labeled “facially defective” without substantial discussion. Tuberville’s team maintained that the senator could prove his residency and dismissed questions about his living arrangements as distractions. However, the party’s sudden decision to address the issue has prompted Tuberville’s legal team to prepare a robust response. Sources indicate that Tuberville’s attorneys began submitting documents, including tax returns, property tax records, and a driver’s license, to various entities in anticipation of the hearing. Tuberville’s campaign has acknowledged that the senator has taken temporary leave from Alabama over the past seven years but asserts he has never been absent long enough to lose his citizenship.#tommy_tuberville #alabama_republican_party #ken_mcfeeters #balch_bingham #santa_rosa_beach
