A formal challenge has been filed with the Alabama Republican Party alleging that John Wahl, who led the party until a week ago, does not meet the state residency requirement to run for lieutenant governor.
The challenge was filed Thursday afternoon by former State Rep. Gil Isbell, a Republican from Gadsden.
The Alabama Constitution requires the governor and lieutenant governor be citizens of Alabama for “at least seven years next before the date of their election.”
The complaint cites two bases for questioning Wahl’s residency: That he presented a Tennessee-issued driver’s license in 2023 during a traffic stop in Morgan County and that he was registered to vote in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office confirmed to Alabama Daily News that Wahl registered to vote in that state in December 2020, but never cast a ballot. Obtaining a driver’s license in Tennessee requires two proofs of residency.
Wahl has previously said he had a Tennessee driver’s license because he had planned to move there, but his plans changed. The traffic ticket lists his address as Five Points, Tennessee.
Wahl, who lives in Limestone County and has been ALGOP chairman since 2021, qualified Friday to run for the state’s second-highest office. President Donald Trump endorsed him the night before he qualified.
“The presumption based on the available facts is that Mr. Wahl obtained a Tennessee driver license by providing two acceptable proofs of Tennessee residency as required by Tennessee law,” Isbell’s complaint states. “Mr. Wahl could not have continuously resided in Alabama from November 3, 2019 until November 3, 2026 if he was a Tennessee resident in 2020, when he obtained a Tennessee driver license, and presumably until April 11, 2023, when he received a speeding ticket and presented his Tennessee driver license.”
Isbell told ADN Thursday that he filed the complaint because rules matter.
“The bottom line is, there are rules, laws put into place that we’re to follow,” Isbell said. “And nothing against John personally, I like him, but again, when you get in a race and become a candidate, you have to make sure that you check all the boxes.
“And basically, it comes down to one question: John had to provide two pieces of documentation to prove he was a current and not a future resident of Tennessee in 2020. Then he’s not eligible to run for lieutenant governor. However, if he was not a resident (of Tennessee) in 2020, then it looks like he wasn’t truthful to the state of Tennessee, and that could be considered fraud.”
One of the exhibits in the challenge is a May 2025 radio interview Wahl did with radio host Jeff Poor. In it, Wahl describes planning to move to Tennessee to expand his business in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic altered his plans and he never actually moved.
Contacted Thursday evening, Wahl said he expected and welcomes the challenge.
“I have been very open about the fact that I had a second residence in Tennessee for a period of time,” Wahl said. “I have spoken with multiple lawyers. I’ve looked into both the Constitution of Alabama, the laws of Alabama, and I am confident that I’m eligible and would not have run for this position, resigned as state party chairman, if I was not confident in that.”
He said many people have more than one residence, but Alabama is always where he’s always voted and paid taxes.
“Just because I also had a residence in Tennessee does not mean Alabama was not my citizenship.”
He compared the complaint to one filed earlier this week against gubernatorial candidate U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
Gubernatorial candidate Ken McFeeters on Tuesday filed a challenge against fellow candidate and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville. McFeeters argues that travel records show Tuberville’s Florida panhandle beach home is his primary residence, not the more modest house in Auburn.
“I am disappointed to see campaigns try to disqualify their opponents instead of running their own race,” Wahl said.
Wahl last week joined an already competitive GOP field that includes Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate, George Childress, Dean Oden, Dr. Stewart Hill Tankersley and Nicole Jones Wadsworth.
The Alabama Republican Party does not comment on challenges, but ALGOP Director of Legislative Affairs and Communications Jeannie Negrón Burniston did explain the process earlier this week.
The candidate challenge window opened on Monday and will close at 12 p.m. on Friday. Once that window has closed, the GOP’s candidate committee reviews all of the challenges it receives and will determine which meet the threshold to be heard, Burniston said.
“In those cases, both the challenger and the challengee will be notified and invited to a hearing to present their respective cases,” Burniston said. “Following the hearing, the Candidate Committee will make a determination based on the information presented and will notify both parties of its decision.”
Those hearings are not open to the public.
Isbell was an incumbent lawmaker in 2022 when he challenged an election to the ALGOP, citing documented ballot errors, the outcome of the primary contest he lost by a narrow margin. The party did not overturn that race.
This story was updated with additional details from the challenge.