From Gridiron to Governor: Why Sports Stars Are Dominating US Politics Ahead of 2026
Ahead of the 2026 midterms, sports stars like Tommy Tuberville are entering politics. Can their 'outsider' appeal win over voters tired of traditional politicians?
Is your favorite sports hero America's next political leader? As the pivotal 2026 midterm elections approach, a growing wave of athletes and coaches is trading the stadium for the campaign trail, betting that fame on the field can translate into votes.
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama is the leading example. After five years in the Senate, the former Auburn University football coach is launching a gubernatorial bid, and his campaign identity is clear: his website banner proudly reads “Coach Tuberville for Governor.” This strategy signals a broader trend within the GOP, which is increasingly relying on local sports heroes to compete for offices at all levels.
The New Political Playbook
This phenomenon is especially visible in some of the highest-profile races for 2026. In Georgia, former University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley is aiming to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Meanwhile, former NFL kicker Jay Feely is running for Congress in Arizona, and former MLB star Mark Teixeira is a front-runner for an open House seat in Texas. The trend was supercharged in the era of Donald Trump, who endorsed Tuberville and another football star, Herschel Walker, in his unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid.
The appeal is rooted in deep public distrust of Washington insiders. An OctoberPew Research Center poll found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are “frustrated” by the Democratic Party, while 64% hold similar negative views of Republicans. “They already have some name I.D., they have fundraising capabilities, but they're seen as political outsiders,” said Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl.
A Bipartisan Game?
While the trend is prominent in the Republican Party, especially in the college-football-obsessed Southeast, Democrats have also fielded their own athletic candidates. Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), an ex-NFL player, highlighted his sports background in his unsuccessful 2024 Senate bid. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy played professional basketball in Europe, and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas) is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter.
However, the strategies differ. “Democrats tend to recruit a lot of ex-military or CIA people. They seem to think that’s more in their wheelhouse,” said long-time Democratic strategist James Carville. He continued, “As people become increasingly turned off by ‘politics of Washington,’ you’re going to find these parties are going to be looking for different kinds of candidates.”
A Risky Play
Despite the appeal of outsiders, the public isn't entirely sold on athletes entering the political arena. A late 2024 poll by the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago showed that only 26% of adults approve of athletes speaking out on political issues, while 36% explicitly disapprove. “When you’re famous in athletics, everybody likes you,” Carville noted. “In politics, as soon as you open your mouth, half the people hate you.”
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