That’s not likely to happen in 2026. Leaders of the Alabama Legislature say they do not expect any bills for a lottery, sports betting, and casinos to get serious consideration in next year’s session, which starts Jan. 13.

IN 2017, DOUG JONES DID THE UNTHINKABLE. He won a special election in Alabama for the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican Roy Moore by half a percentage point. At the time, it shocked the political system. Democrats were believed to be extinct in the Deep South.

Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, kicked off his campaign for governor Friday, saying voters deserve a choice and a leader who will put aside divisions to address the state's pressing needs.