MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, whose 2017 election renewed hope for Democrats in Alabama, announced Monday that he is running for governor of the state in 2026.

Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and also is running for governor. Both candidates have party primaries in May before the November general election.

“I am running for governor of Alabama," Jones said in a campaign video posted on social media. “Folks in Alabama deserve a governor who is going to fight for them.” He will do an official campaign kickoff next month.

“What we have heard all along is that Alabama wants their next governor to be someone who lives here, who works here, who listens to the people of this state, who understands the people of this state. And Alabama wants their next governor to be someone who treats this state with grace and dignity and not just like a rest stop on the way to the Florida beach,” Jones said.

The comment was an apparent reference to Tuberville, who faced questions about his residency in the 2020 Senate race, when his political opponents referred to him as “Florida man." Property tax records show he owns a $270,000 home in Auburn, where he claims a homestead exemption, and a $4 million beach home in Walton County, Florida.

In a statement issued by his campaign, Jones said it is a critical time for Alabama as people “struggle with the cost of the most basic stuff in life — food, housing, and health care.”

“In rural communities and big cities, the gap between living costs and income keeps growing. We need to give Alabamians a real path, real relief, and economic opportunity,” Jones said.

Jones' entry into the race comes after weeks of speculation and teasing about a possible run as he worked to promote Democrats in the Deep South state.

Jones, a lawyer and former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing, was elected to the Senate in 2017. He defeated Republican Roy Moore, who was hit with sexual misconduct allegations, in a special election to fill the Senate seat previously held by Jeff Sessions. Jones lost three years later to Tuberville, a former football coach backed by President Donald Trump.

A spokeswoman for Tuberville noted the Republican senator, who is often addressed as “coach” because of his coaching career, easily defeated Jones in 2020 and predicted he will do so again in 2026.

“Last time Doug Jones ran against Coach Tuberville, it didn’t go well for Doug," Mallory Jaspers, a spokeswoman for the Tuberville campaign wrote in an email. "Coach has spent the past six months building coalitions across the state, securing endorsements from every key player in Alabama politics, and shattering fundraising records. This race is already over — but if Comrade Doug wants to get blown out again, be our guest.”

Tuberville in 2020 had more than 1.3 million votes to Jones' 920,478.

The Cook Political Report rates the Alabama gubernatorial race as “solid Republican.”

Jones was the last Democrat elected to statewide office in Alabama. Republicans have had a lock on the Alabama governor's office for more than 20 years. Former Gov. Don Siegelman was the last Democrat to hold the office. He lost in 2002 to Republican Bob Riley by a razor-thin margin.

Kevin Donohoe, a spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association, said Democrats have won in other tough states such as Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina.

“With health care costs rising, schools failing and not enough good-paying jobs, Alabama families are hurting — but Tommy Tuberville would only make things worse. Alabama deserves new leadership that will get results, and there’s an opportunity for a Democrat who fits the state well to make this race competitive," Donohoe said.