The Iron Bowl could be headed to the next Alabama Senate race if state Democrats could recruit a dream candidate: Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
Saban retired from coaching after the Tide’s disappointing playoff loss to the Michigan Wolverines. But a new poll from YouGov found him narrowly leading current Alabama Senator (and former Auburn Tigers head coach) Tommy Tuberville in a hypothetical 2026 matchup.
According to Slate, the poll found Saban leading with 42 percent of the vote to Tuberville’s 39 percent. It should be noted, however, that the margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 4.9 percent.
“Nick Saban looks like an extremely valuable recruit that Democrats should be considering carefully in this race,” John Ray, the polling director of YouGov told Slate. “I base that on the clear signs of his strong personal constituency and on his relatively strong performance compared to others who Democrats might be considering.”
Saban has never run for political office, but he has made forays into politics before as a Joe Manchin-styled West Virginia Democrat, the state from which Saban famously hails.
Saban wrote a Manchin, whom he endorsed in 2018, imploring him to protect voting rights in 2022. Saban later clarified, however, he didn’t want Manchin to end the filibuster to do that.
Saban has yet to comment on the poll.
[Slate]
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