Republican Caroleene Dobson is running for Alabama secretary of state in 2026, she announced Thursday.
“As Secretary of State, I will reduce fees on Alabama businesses, streamline services for the public, and I will never back down from the liberal activist groups who want to undermine the security of our elections,” Dobson said in a written statement.
Dobson, an attorney, entered the Alabama political scene in 2023 when she ran for Congress in Alabama’s recently redrawn second district. She won a seven-person GOP primary after a runoff last year. Democrat Shomari Figures won the general election with about 55% of the vote.
Dobson is originally from Monroe County and received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and graduated from the Baylor University School of Law.
She previously worked in Texas and is now a shareholder at the law firm Maynard Nexsen in Montgomery, specializing in natural resources, commercial finance and real estate law.
“As a mother, I understand that without secure elections, my daughters won’t grow up in the same country that I did,” said Dobson. “In Alabama, we have great laws on the books, but there is always room to improve the enforcement of those laws.”
Current Secretary of State Wes Allen is running for lieutenant governor next year. Andrew Sorrell, now the state auditor, announced his bid for secretary of state earlier this year.
Dobson raised more than $1.4 million in congressional bid and loaned that campaign more than $1.6 million. She hasn’t yet had to file a campaign report for this race.
Sorrell has about $270,000 in his campaign account after a $250,000 personal loan.
Dobson has pledged to replicate the Florida Election Crimes and Division model in Alabama.
“Alabama has some of the finest law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the nation,” she said. “I want to enhance their ability to bring cases by having a dedicated team of election experts who can investigate voter fraud claims proactively on the ground.
“… On the national level, I will advocate for President Trump’s commonsense election reforms. I will also leverage my legal experience to fight back against out-of-state activists who are constantly attempting to use the courts to undermine our election security measures.”
The primary is May 19.