A growing number of lawmakers are looking to ditch Washington for the governor's mansion

WASHINGTON — It’s not unusual for popular, term-limited governors to try to keep their political careers going by running for the Senate.

WASHINGTON — It’s not unusual for popular, term-limited governors to try to keep their political careers going by running for the Senate. It’s much less common for senators to eye the governor's mansion in their home states.

But this election cycle could potentially see three sitting senators running for governor — something that hasn’t happened in modern history.

GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn University football coach, opted against seeking a second Senate term and launched his 2026 bid for Alabama governor Tuesday. That came after Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who has served in the Senate for 16 years and briefly ran for president in 2020, announced his gubernatorial campaign last month. And in Tennessee, Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn has said she is seriously considering a bid for governor.

Plus, on the other side of the Capitol, there are at least a dozen current members of the House who are already running or weighing a run for governor.

For members of Congress, trading the partisan gridlock of Washington — and the status of being one of 100, or one of 435 — for the top executive post in their home states can prove extremely alluring.