While Trump’s former attorney general has increasingly upped his attacks — calling Tuberville unprepared and weak for refusing to debate him — Tuberville hasn’t taken the bait, avoiding direct confrontation with Sessions for months.

“It’s like he’s holding his lead and playing prevent defense,” Chris Brown, a GOP strategist in the state who raised concerns about Tuberville’s lack of vetting in the primary, said, invoking a football metaphor for extreme cautiousness. “I don’t think people really know much about Tommy Tuberville other than Trump endorsed him, and he coached football.”…

Still, some Republicans have been frustrated by the lack of engagement during four-month runoff. Rep. Gary Palmer, who considered running for Senate, said in a recent local radio interview it bothered him there hadn’t been a debate. Some Republican consultants not affiliated in the race have expressed concern about what’s waiting for Tuberville if he emerges Tuesday — pointing to a recent New York Times report about Tuberville’s involvement in a failed hedge fund for which his associate pleaded guilty to fraud.

“Because he has not been vetted, because this is his first campaign and because Doug Jones is sitting on millions and millions of dollars, there is concern over whether Tommy Tuberville will be able to survive the type of campaign Doug Jones is going to run,” said Angi Stalnaker, a veteran operative who was a top aide to former Gov. Robert Bentley. “We don’t know anything about Tommy Tuberville other than he is a football coach and loves Donald Trump. And we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that’s going to be enough to take back that seat for Republicans.”