Ken McFeeters appeals ALGOP decision to not look into Tuberville’s residency
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Special to the News
Submitted by Ken McFeeters
Please let this letter/email serve as my formal appeal of the decision by the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee to refuse to review my candidate challenge regarding Tommy Tuberville and whether he meets the clear requirements laid out in Article V, Section 117 of the Alabama Constitution – that a governor must be a resident citizen of Alabama for at least seven years.
Let’s be clear about what happened.
The official Alabama Republican Party Candidate Challenge Form – which I have attached – clearly states that supporting documents are OPTIONAL. Not recommended. Not required. OPTIONAL.
Yet Steering Committee member Riley McArdle publicly stated on a podcast that the Committee refused to review the challenge because there was “no evidence attached.” The Party’s legal response says basically the same thing.
So, which is it?
If evidence is optional on the form, why was my challenge dismissed for not including optional material?
The supporting documents were intentionally held back for a hearing – exactly how legal and party processes are designed to work. Instead, the Committee used the lack of optional material as an excuse to shut the door before the case could even be heard.
Now let’s talk about what that optional evidence actually shows.
The U.S. Senate reimburses senators for flights to and from their home residence. In 2021, Tuberville submitted nine flights, listed as going “home,” and all nine were flights to Florida. Not Alabama.
A Carfax report on his personal truck shows that in 2024 all recorded services (four) were done in Destin, Florida. Then, suddenly and suspiciously, after announcing his run for governor in 2025, his vehicle starts getting serviced in Auburn, Ala. (three services).
Meanwhile, the service history on my truck shows consistent service around Birmingham – where I actually live.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Here’s the bigger issue: the vast majority of regular Alabama voters don’t believe he meets the seven-year residency requirement. Not just opponents. Not just political insiders. Regular folks. Even most of his strongest supporters will tell you straight up – they don’t believe he actually lives full time in Alabama.
What they’ll say is: “Yeah, he’s got a place in Auburn to get around the rules but, come on – we all know where he really lives.”
With all of this, the only thing offered to prove his residence is Tuberville’s driver’s license.
If Republicans allow this to slide, what message are we sending?
That our Constitution applies to working people – but not to millionaires?
That party insiders get to pick winners – and the rules get bent to make it happen?
The ALGOP is allowing Tuberville to flaunt the fact that our laws and Constitution do not apply to him, and it’s not a good look!
There is a simple solution: transparency.
If Tuberville wants to end this controversy today, he can voluntarily release:
- Credit card spending records showing where he actually lives day-to-day
- Utility records showing real residential usage
- Tax returns showing Alabama income tax payments
- Complete flight logs showing where he regularly returns “home”
If he meets the requirement, this all goes away overnight.
But if he doesn’t – the people of Alabama deserve to know before they cast their votes.
I understand the Party doesn’t have subpoena power. Nobody expects you to. But you absolutely have the ability – and I would argue the duty – to ask for transparency when a huge portion of the Republican base is questioning whether a candidate is following the Constitution.
A simple request from the Party right now could end this entire controversy.
Alabama voters are fiercely independent. We believe in self-government. We believe in fairness. We believe in home cookin’. And we don’t take kindly to the idea of party insiders anointing a governor – especially one who does not meet the constitutional requirements to even run.
This will come out eventually. The only question is whether the Party wants to do the right thing now – or be forced into it later through courts and public pressure.
Republicans are supposed to be the party that defends the Constitution – not explains why it doesn’t apply.
Republicans are supposed to be the good guys!
If the ALGOP refuses to act, it will become blatantly obvious and will confirm what far too many people in Alabama already believe, that the ALGOP is involved in this charade, heavily involved in primaries and is in on the “anointing” of our next governor.
Respectfully,
Ken McFeeters
P.S. If Tuberville releases the above information, and it proves he has truly lived in a garden home in Auburn, Ala., for the last seven years, I will drop all legal action. I will withdraw from the race. I will endorse him. I will contribute $1,000 to his campaign. And, I will vote for him.