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What's at stake in 2026?
A lot more than you realize, folks. It's why what we're doing is so important.
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Folks, I get asked a lot about what’s at stake next year. If you ask Tommy Tuberville, it’s all a game to him. Winners vs. Losers. Us vs. Them. Well, let me tell you, what’s at stake is more than a game. It is more than you may think.
What’s at stake is whether government in Alabama still belongs to the people who live here, or whether it continues to be controlled by a small group of power brokers who never have to live with the consequences of their decisions. It is about whether working families get a fair shot, or whether the deck stays stacked for the wealthy and well connected.
Too many Alabamians feel shut out of their own government. Two thirds believe state government does not really care what they think. Power has been concentrated in Montgomery for far too long. Debate is smothered, accountability disappears, and real problems are ignored.
What’s at stake is our democracy.
When leaders make it harder to vote instead of easier, that is not about security. It is about control. Alabama leaders refuse to allow early voting even though most states trust their citizens. We cling to straight ticket voting, a system designed to protect those already in power even when they fail us year after year. That is not democracy working. That is democracy rigged.
What’s at stake is whether your voice matters.
If those in charge truly cared what Alabamians wanted, we would already have a state lottery. Instead, millions of dollars leave Alabama every year for neighboring states while our schools and communities struggle. We stand alone not because the people oppose a lottery, but because those in power refuse to let you vote on it.
What’s at stake is our schools and our kids.
Public schools are the backbone of communities across this state. Yet public dollars are being siphoned away to private schools with little accountability. Teachers are stretched thin, classrooms are overcrowded, and students pay the price. Education should be about opportunity, not ideology.
What’s at stake is health and life itself.
Alabama has some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation. We have earned an F for maternal health. A state that calls itself pro life failing mothers and babies when they need care the most. That is a moral failure.
Rural hospitals are closing or barely hanging on. When a hospital shuts down, emergency care is farther away, jobs disappear, and communities weaken. Health care should not depend on your ZIP code.
And yet Alabama leaders still refuse to expand Medicaid.
Over a million people in this state qualify for Medicaid. More than half are children. But there are another 300,000 or so that would benefit from Medicaid expansion. Medicaid is the backbone of our health care system and a driver of local economies. Expanding it would save rural hospitals, support healthier pregnancies, improve cancer survival, expand mental health care, reduce strain on the criminal justice system and support small businesses.
I have been talking about Medicaid expansion since 2017 because the need has only grown. But leaders like Tommy Tuberville are slamming the door shut, supporting policies that block expansion and letting health insurance subsidies expire. That is not leadership. That is indifference.
As governor, I will do everything in my power to get health care to every Alabamian. If it takes the stroke of a pen, that pen will move.
What’s at stake is dignity and freedom.
As governor, I will protect IVF and contraception. Control never stops where extremists say it will. Families deserve the freedom to make deeply personal decisions without politicians interfering. Not on my watch.
What’s at stake is public safety and justice.
We all want safe communities. I spent years as a prosecutor keeping streets safe. But warehousing people in prisons without addressing mental health and addiction does not make us safer. Alabama has one of the most neglected prison systems in the country. Pouring billions into new prisons while ignoring root causes is not a solution.
What’s at stake is our economy and our future.
Alabama says it is open for business, yet we have one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the nation. Too many people want to work but cannot find jobs that pay the bills. Economic development should invest in workers, not just reward executives.
Young Alabamians see automation and AI coming while leaders in Montgomery do nothing to prepare them. They see energy bills rising and jobs disappearing. Farmers see markets lost because of trade policies that put politics over people. None of them want a handout. They want a fair shot.
Here’s what Tommy Tuberville will never understand: With everything at stake, this is not a game.
When families choose between food and electricity, it is not a game. When health care is out of reach, it is not a game. When young people leave because opportunity is gone, it is not a game.
Alabama is not a stadium. Our lives are not a scoreboard. And public service is not a sport.
This campaign is about giving people a real choice and a real voice. It is about shifting power away from Montgomery and back to the people. It is about building an Alabama where everyone has a seat at the table and nobody is written off.
Hope everyone has a Happy New Year and is energized to come out next week strong. I know I am.
-Doug
Paid for by Doug for Alabama - PO Box 130430 Birmingham, AL 35213
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