College football legend inspired by Charlie Kirk running for office in home state

Former University of Alabama star quarterback AJ McCarron, who led his alma mater to back-to-back national championships, announced on Thursday his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Alabama as a Republican.

McCarron, 35, an Alabama native, said in an announcement video that one of the key influences on him deciding to jump into the race for lieutenant governor is the Sept. 10 assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk. He added that his time playing in the National Football League (NFL) helped to reinforce “the importance of achieving goals bigger than ourselves.”

“Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction,” McCarron said in his announcement video. “That’s why Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us so deeply. His example convinced me to get off of the sidelines, get into the game, and stand tall for our conservative beliefs, so today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.”

“The Montgomery insiders and career politicians have had their chance. It’s time for political newcomers and outsider candidates like me to lead the battle,” he added.

McCarron is the all time passing yards leader for the Alabama Crimson Tide, guiding the storied football program to national championship victories in 2012 and 2013. He finished as the Heisman trophy runner-up in 2013.

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted McCarron in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The quarterback went on to play professional football until 2024 with several teams across the NFL, XFL and United Football League (UFL).

Other candidates in the Yellowhammer State’s 2026 lieutenant governor race include Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Cullman County Deputy Patrick Bishop, George Childress, Pastor Dean Odle, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate and economist Nicole Wadsworth, WHNT reported on Thursday.

Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced in May that he is running for the state’s governorship. Tuberville formerly served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama’s longtime intrastate rival Auburn University for 11 years.

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