While the national presidential election rages on, many states too close to call with thousands of ballots left to count, there’s at least one election that has been decided for residents of Alabama: our vote for Senator. On Tuesday, former football coach and politician Tommy Tuberville beat out Senator Doug Jones for re-election. Jones’s election in 2017 was historic, marking the first time that Alabama had had a Democratic Senator since the 1980s; Tuberville, a Republican with a strong relationship to the GOP and a penchant for tax cuts, has now brought the ball back into the conservative court. 

“It is time we had a Senator who represents Alabama values, not New York values,” said Tuberville during his acceptance speech. “I would like to thank everybody here for your support. We have a hard road ahead in the next three months.” Tuberville has relied heavily on his alignment with Trump during this campaign season; this is his first experience with electoral politics, having previously worked with the Tommy Tuberville Foundation to fundraise for American veterans, though only about a third of the proceeds were used for charity. 

Tuberville has also been endorsed by the National Rifle Association as well as President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, supported for his pro-gun stance and approach to education. “The best and most viable solutions come from the local level,” reads Tuberville’s campaign site. “I believe that school choice, charter schools, and improving our existing public schools are all things that need to be part of the education mix for Alabama children.” National security, privatized healthcare, and pro-life sentiments also influenced his win on Tuesday. Senator Jones, while only gaining 40% of votes, actually gained more votes in every county of Alabama than Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. While Jone represented a more moderate, centrist-leaning voice for Alabama in the Senate, Tuberville wages his campaign on a strong allegiance to conservative values and appeals to many Christian voters. 

“I’m not particularly excited about Tuberville in his own right, but I’m glad Doug Jones is out of office,” said Bob Jones sophomore Marcello Mancusi, citing a clearer alignment with the state’s traditional leanings despite the general inexperience of the candidate. Many Alabama voters feel that Tuberville will represent Alabama’s voice as a whole, while others still felt that Jones negotiated well with both the state and the other members of the Senate. “As someone who is apart of the LGBT community, I am very scared living in a state that sides with a more conservative candidate,” said a Bob Jones senior of Tuberville’s record. “‘Do I want more money?’ or ‘Do I support human rights?’….that’s politics now. It’s a crude way to put it, but that’s the only way for me to put it.’” 

The following months, regardless of the national election’s razor-thin outcome, will likely test Tuberville’s platform and capabilities. Though his campaign was low-profile and he declined to hold press conferences or debates, he is now solidly the leading voice for Alabama within the Republican Senate as both parties wage battle for seats, several on either side contested or flipped. It’s going to be a turbulent period of time moving forward, both for the state and the country.