MONTGOMERY, Ala.

Republicans are questioning the qualifications of Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is transitioning from football coach to a gubernatorial candidate in Alabama. They claim he hasn’t fulfilled the requirement of living in the state for seven years.

Ken McPheeters, a rival in the Republican race for governor, submitted a formal challenge to the Alabama Republican Party this Tuesday. In a phone interview, he expressed his belief that Tuberville actually resides in a lavish beach house in Florida rather than a modest residence in Auburn, Alabama.

Records indicate that Tuberville, a former football coach for Auburn University, possesses a home in Auburn valued at $291,780, for which he claims a tax exemption. However, he also has a beach property in Walton County, Florida, worth approximately $5.5 million.

The Auburn house was initially bought by Tuberville’s wife and son back in 2017. Subsequently, Tuberville’s name was added to the title, and his son’s name was removed. Property records suggest that both homes may now be held in a revocable trust, with his wife serving as the trustee.

McPheeters voiced his skepticism, stating, “It’s disrespectful to the average person in Alabama to think that we believe he’s being honest when he says he lives in his son’s $300,000 house when his son has a $6 million beach house. Where would he live?”

In his correspondence to party officials, McPheeters argued that the existing records “if accurate, strongly suggest that Auburn was used as a convenience address rather than a real address.” He also referenced Tuberville’s frequent travels to the Florida Panhandle as further evidence of his residency outside Alabama.

Responding to the challenge, Tuberville’s spokesperson, Mallory Jaspers, dismissed it as a “ridiculous PR stunt by a desperate candidate.” She emphasized that Tuberville has effectively represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate for six years, asserting that this narrative didn’t succeed against him in 2019 and won’t now either. Jaspers maintained that the Auburn home is still his primary residence.

During his Senate campaign, Tuberville faced similar accusations, with opponents labeling him a “Florida guy” and an “Alabama tourist.” Interestingly, the residency requirements for the Senate are less stringent. Earlier this month, Tuberville communicated to The Associated Press that he believes he meets the necessary residency criteria.

“We looked into it. If I thought that was an issue, I wouldn’t be doing this,” he remarked, indicating that he trusts party members to make decisions regarding the challenges but feels they are comfortable with his situation.

Previously, Tuberville was the head football coach at Auburn University from 1999 to 2008. After coaching stints at Texas Tech University and the University of Cincinnati, he worked with ESPN. In a promotional video for ESPN in 2017, he spoke about his move to Florida after his coaching career.

Notably, Tuberville voted in Florida in 2018 but later registered to vote in Alabama on March 28, 2019, just weeks before declaring his candidacy for the Senate.

Jeanie Burniston, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Republican Party, stated that the challenge will be reviewed by a 21-member steering committee. They will assess if enough evidence exists to proceed with a hearing where both parties will present their cases.

An awkwardly phrased requirement in the Alabama Constitution specifies that the governor and lieutenant governor “must have been citizens of the United States for at least seven years prior to the date of the election and resided in this state for at least the next seven years.”

McPheeters stressed the importance of treating this issue seriously within the Republican Party, suggesting that Tuberville ought to furnish definitive evidence of his seven-year residency in Alabama.

Susan Pace Hamill, a law professor at the University of Alabama, noted the ambiguity in the wording of the residency requirement. It could be interpreted as needing seven consecutive years or as seven years accumulated over multiple locations. However, she posited that Alabama’s culture generally supports the view that it should denote seven continuous years.

Hamill elaborated, stating, “Alabama’s culture has been skeptical of outsiders, and historically most Alabama governors have been born and raised within the state and are often descendants of generations of Alabamians.” This insight was highlighted first by The Alabama Reflector.