MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Republican nominee for lieutenant governor John Wahl had his candidacy challenged Tuesday in a court filing in the capital city.
Three plaintiffs argue that Wahl does not meet the Alabama constitutional requirement that candidates for lieutenant governor must have been residents of the state for at least seven years prior to the election. They say Wahl, whose full name is Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl, obtained a Tennessee driver license and registered to vote in 2020 citing an address in Five Points, Tennessee, as his residence.
The court filing calls for the court to issue a “writ of quo warranto” finding that Wahl is ineligible to be the Alabama Republican Party’s certified nominee for lieutenant governor.
“Wahl does not meet the constitutional eligibility requirements for the office of Lieutenant Governor in that he has not been a resident of the State of Alabama for the seven years next preceding the general election on November 3, 2026,” the filing reads.
The three plaintiffs – Jarrod Wayne Schulte, Amanda Beth Schulte and Valtoria Jackson – identify themselves simply as realtors and not acting on behalf of a campaign or party.
When contacted by Alabama Daily News, Wahl said the lawsuit is without merit.
“This lawsuit is ridiculous. I was born and raised in Alabama, and I have always had a residence here. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to overturn the will of Alabama voters through the courts.”
He did not address specific questions about his Tennessee residency.
The GOP nominee for governor, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, has seen multiple challenges to his candidacy under the same seven year requirement. Alabama Daily News reported more than a year ago that Tuberville had a homestead tax exemption on his home in Auburn going back to 2018, one of several records the Tuberville campaign used to dispute the challenges. Ultimately, a Montgomery judge ruled that it did not have the jurisdiction to issue a “writ of quo warranto” before someone has taken office. The case is now before the Alabama Supreme Court.