MOBILE, Ala. -- Former college football coach Tommy Tuberville beat former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Tuesday's Alabama Republican Senate runoff.
Familiar to Alabamians from his decade as Auburn University's head football coach, Tuberville, 65, is now positioned for a strong challenge against Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones. With Alabama's strong GOP tilt, the seat is widely viewed as Republicans' best chance for a pickup as they try to maintain their thin Senate majority amid President Donald Trump's lagging popularity nationally.
Sessions, 73, was wounded by Trump's criticisms after he recused himself in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.