MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Two Republicans are fighting hard for an office that has waning power.
John Wahl, former chair of the Alabama Republican Party, and Wes Allen, the current secretary of state, are competing in a tight runoff for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.
Wahl led the May 19 primary with 41% of the vote, followed by Allen with 38%. The primary was a crowded, seven-person field, but the two easily punched their tickets to the runoff.
Apart from standing in wait in case something happens to the governor, Alabama’s lieutenant governor is primarily tasked with presiding over the Alabama State Senate. The office is also tasked with making appointments to various boards and commissions.
Some lieutenant governors have sought to do more with the office. For instance, current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth started a small business advisory commission to help companies cope with COVID-19 challenges and he chairs the Alabama Military Stability Commission, which has produced several bills over the last two terms.
Much of the power once held by the state’s number two executive officer has been shifted to the Senate’s president pro tempore. This shift started more than two decades ago when Democrats still ruled the Legislature, but even last session, the Republican Senate passed new rules to further limit the authority of lieutenant governor in the Legislature.
With less than a week until the runoff election, here’s what you need to know about the candidates.
Experience
Since the primary, Wahl and Allen have doubled-down on their existing campaign messaging.
Wahl is painting himself as a conservative outsider determined to “drain the swamp,” while Allen is emphasizing his experience and connections inside Montgomery.
Neither candidate is a stranger to public service.
Wahl served as chair of the ALGOP from 2021 to 2026, only stepping down to run for office. During that time, Gov. Kay Ivey appointed him to serve on the Alabama Public Library Service Board, where he ultimately served as chair. Wahl is also a butterfly farmer by trade.
The Republican candidate said he’s seeking the role to make the state of Alabama better.
“I’m running because I love the state of Alabama, and I think we can do so much better for our economy, our children, our education…” Wahl said. “I’m not a career politician, I don’t want to be. I’m a small businessman, I really have a heart for fighting for people’s rights and freedoms and kind of returning control and power from government back to the people where I think it belongs.”
Allen, the son of a current Alabama State senator, has also had a long career in politics.
He served as a probate judge in Pike County for nearly a decade and was later elected to represent District 89 in the Alabama House of Representatives. Allen was elected as secretary of state in 2022 and has held that office since January of 2023.
Allen said he’s in the race because he wants to lead on the state’s culture and reinforce Alabama’s conservative principles.
“I want to protect our state for future generations,” Allen said. “There’s a reason why people are moving to this state because of our great culture and because of our great conservative leadership. They understand we have good things going in this state, and I want to be a part of that leadership team with Coach Tuberville and make sure we have the right leadership in the right position in the right alignment to get us in a position to where we can be successful as a state.”
Allen has been campaigning for lieutenant governor since February of 2025.
Wahl, on the other hand, was thrust into the race by an endorsement from President Donald Trump just before candidate qualifying closed in January. He has leaned heavily on that endorsement on the campaign trail, including photos of himself with the president and audio of Trump speaking about him in nearly all campaign media.
“I think the endorsement from President Donald Trump creates massive opportunities for the state of Alabama, especially economically,” Wahl said. “We have an opportunity to bring new jobs to Alabama, to bring new industry to Alabama, and to grow our economy, and that relationship with the White House is going to pay massive dividends for the state.”
Former State Rep. Gil Isbell, a Republican from Gadsden, filed a challenge to Wahl’s residency just after he qualified for the office, alleging that he didn’t meet the constitutional requirements to run. The ALGOP dismissed that challenge in February.
Both candidates say their experience means they’re ready to hit the ground running on day one.
Wahl said his experience as a party chairman will prepare him for the nuts and bolts of the role. He said he’ll bring the mind of a small businessman to the office “to return control and power back to the people.”
Allen said voters have already vetted him several times in his past roles and that he’s ready to handle the pressures of the office.
“I want to see Alabama prosper,” Allen said. “I want to see Alabama put in a good position where our economy can be vibrant. I want to be in a position of leadership where I can lead on the culture, like I’ve done as secretary, like I’ve done as probate judge, like I’ve done in the Legislature.”
Priorities as lieutenant governor
Wahl said decidedly that his first priority if elected would be the economy.
Several polls have confirmed that affordability is overwhelmingly the most important issue for voters across the country this election cycle, including in Alabama.
Wahl said focusing on the economy would entail finding ways to support the people of Alabama to help them have a better life.
“We have people who are struggling just to put food on the table, whether that’s young families, or elderly on fixed incomes,” Wahl said. “I think we have to prioritize the cost of living, and so one of my top priorities is going to be day one on trying to eliminate the grocery tax and find ways to bring down other costs, whether it’s taxes or utility rates, the spike in our property taxes.”
He also said that education would be a top priority.
“We need to get back to the basics: teaching, reading, writing, arithmetic and getting the social agendas out of our classroom and returning control to parents and local teachers where it belongs,” Wahl said.
Though Allen said his focus would be to be present and lead on issues within the chamber, Allen’s number one legislative priority would be cutting red tape and “burdensome administrative rules” for small businesses.
“That’s something that I’ve always paid very close attention to and tried to impact, whether I was a probate judge when I had to implement the laws that were passed and I saw how needless red tape affected small business owners in small rural counties,” Allen said.
He also detailed ways he worked on this issue while a member of the House and more recently as secretary of state, passing one related bill and later advocating for another to stop small business owners from having to file annual reports.
Outside of red tape, Allen mentioned protecting “our great Alabama culture” and securing elections as priorities.
But because the Legislature has limited the power of the office, Alabama Daily News asked both candidates how they would achieve their goals given the role’s confines.
Both men said that they would leverage the statewide connections they’ve made in previous roles to be successful as lieutenant governor. They also emphasized their conservative records, citing policy wins in past positions.
Allen said he would use his connections to “be a part of that solution.”
“Even though the lieutenant governor does not have a vote in the Alabama State Senate barring a tie vote, you still can use your voice, you can use that position as a way to push an issue to the forefront of public discourse… (and) then making sure with those relationships that we’re listening to the right people to help solve that problem,” he said.
Wahl hit on a lot of the same notes. He said that his goal would be “getting back to the basics” of “good policy.”
“If you look back at my record here as state party chairman, you see what I’ve done with that role, building coalitions, talking with people about the values that matter the most, and finding a way to be successful,” Wahl said. “I think that’s what a good leader does, they don’t have to have the power of law if they have the right argument, and I’m going to continue the same fight, the same proven record.”
Campaign finance and endorsements
Like many statewide races this year, the lieutenant governor primary has been full of money.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Wahl led fundraising, while Allen had spent the most. The leader in each category has changed repeatedly in the weeks leading up to the runoff.
Wahl has brought in $2.58 million and spent $2.27 million since announcing his candidacy in January.
Allen has raised $2.57 million since last year. He has spent $2.59 million.
Though the Trump endorsement carries a lot of weight in a state where the president’s approval rating is soaring, Allen has the support of many of the most influential organizations in Alabama.
The Alabama Farmers Federation’s FarmPAC, the Business Council of Alabama’s ProgressPAC and the Alabama Trucking Association’s TrukPAC have all backed Allen. Those endorsements have also come with the groups’ financial support.
Wahl, who said he’s the grassroots candidate in the race, criticized Allen’s PAC contributions.
“Since the runoff, almost 70% of my opponent’s money has come from Montgomery special interests and PACs,” Wahl said. “I’ve not received any money from Montgomery PACs, so I think there’s a very clear choice here for the people of Alabama. It’s the establishment choice versus the conservative fighter.”
Allen said he’s proud to carry the endorsement of these groups and that speaking to Alabamians in different sectors has given him a unique perspective.
“I just think it shows the amount of hard work that I have put in since February of ’25 to go earn the vote of the people of your state because it is real people that make up organizations just like ALFA,” Allen said.
The winner of the runoff will face Democratic state Rep. Phillip Ensler of Montgomery. Ensler defeated Darryl Perryman in the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote.
The runoff is June 16. The general election is Nov. 3.