Morgan Murphy, a Navy veteran and former senior Trump administration aide, announced Tuesday that he is entering the race for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat, framing his candidacy as a defense of conservative values at a time when he says Democrats have weakened America’s institutions.
The seat is being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who is leaving Washington to run for governor. That decision opens a contest in one of the nation’s most reliably Republican states.
In a two-minute campaign ad, Murphy introduces himself as a “Navy captain, Trump-tested conservative, candidate for United States Senate.” He does not shy away from sharp contrasts, casting the Obama and Biden administrations as presiding over decline. “Their leaders at the time were more worried about pronouns than they were about protecting the homeland,” he said.
Murphy accused Democrats of having “gutted our military,” “mocked prayer,” “infiltrated our media and canceled free speech” and “warped higher education.” He positioned his campaign as a continuation of the populist agenda pursued by President Donald J. Trump.
By contrast, Murphy praised Trump as a leader who was “draining the swamp and has the woke mob on the run.” He underscored his own service in both of Trump’s administrations, including work under former Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and Kash Patel when he served as deputy secretary of Defense during Trump’s first term.
Murphy also has deep ties to Tuberville, having served as the Alabama senator’s national security adviser. He became best known for his role during Tuberville’s monthslong hold on hundreds of military promotions, a blockade the senator launched in opposition to a Pentagon abortion policy.
The Washington Post spotlighted Murphy’s role in that effort in a May 2023 profile. At the time, Murphy told Politico that the piece “simply overstated my role in decisionmaking,” stressing that Tuberville was always the one in charge. “He is the boss and calls the shots and always has,” Murphy said. “I am, was, at the end of the day, a staffer. I didn’t take kindly to a perception otherwise.”
After departing Tuberville’s office last year, Murphy served as senior public diplomacy adviser to retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who was Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine.
Now he is seeking to elevate his own name in Alabama politics. But Murphy enters a crowded primary field. Already in the race are businessman Rodney Walker, Rep. Barry Moore, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson.
Still, few doubt that the eventual Republican nominee will win in November. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, has rated Tuberville’s seat “solid Republican.”
For Murphy, the campaign is an opportunity to align himself closely with Trump’s legacy and with Tuberville’s brand of unapologetic conservatism. By highlighting his military credentials and his years in Trump’s orbit, Murphy is signaling that his candidacy is not just about filling a vacancy but about carrying forward a political movement.
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