All politics is local

War in Iran aside, Senator and gubernatorial candidate Tuberville was bullish on Huntsville in his remarks Monday.

What they're saying: "Mayor [Tommy] Battle shared with me just a few weeks ago that Huntsville alone has 32 active [industrial] projects with the potential of more than 23,000 new jobs and $9 billion in new investment," he said.

• "It's unbelievable. Nobody else is growing like that."

Case in point: He cited recent headliners like Eli Lilly's $6-billion Huntsville plant, noting the role of HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, which he said, "has already transformed Huntsville into a premier hub for human health, precision medicine and agriculture."

• Tuberville even applauded Huntsville's music economy, citing reports of Huntsville becoming the next Nashville, and saying: "From rockets to submarines to country music, man there can't be a better mix."

Context: Tuberville is the prime candidate in the Republican primary for governor this year, facing Ken McFeeters, an insurance agent from Pelham and Will Santivasci, an operations manager in Anniston.

• The winner of that race will face the winner of a crowded Democratic primary field, led by former Senator Doug Jones.

Zoom in: Tuberville also mentioned the relocation of Fannie Mae to Birmingham, which he said will also pay dividends in North Alabama.

• "TVA has got to help," he said, noting plans for a "phenomenal" 137-mile natural gas pipeline across North Alabama that's "going to give us more reliable energy."
• "It's the SEC all over again," the former Auburn football coach said, of competing with states like Tennessee, Florida and Georgia for manufacturing investments. "We have to recruit, and I'm ready to tear their ass up."

The bottom line: "This time next year, I hope to be coming back as governor," Tuberville said. "This will be one of my first stops."