After eighteen months at the helm, former State Rep. Ken Kvalheim has resigned as Chairman of the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee – the largest county Republican group in Alabama.
The group will be temporarily headed by Vice-Chair Stuart Lang, an attorney and prosecutor.
Here is the memo to MCREC member from Lang:
“Today I received a resignation letter from Ken Kvalheim as Chairman of the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee. We are truly grateful for his service with the hard work and time he invested in our Party since his election in 2025. Please see his letter attached to this email. The Chair is not just a meeting facilitator as they work everyday on our behalf in a large capacity of responsibilities.
Per the MCREC bylaws, we will hold an election for Chairman at our October 5 meeting. As we use Robert’s Rules of Order and because our bylaws do not specify the rise of the Vice Chairman to the Chairman automatically when a chair vacancy occurs, as your current Vice Chairman I will be the presiding officer until that meeting. We will send you more information as we approach our meeting.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or needs you have. We have a strong team, and I want to help our Party in any way I can in this new role. We will make sure any transitions of our county party offices run smoothly as our election work will continue and not be interrupted.
Please e-mail me at the following new e-mail below for any MCREC business. I appreciate your support and input as we focus on our November election together. “
Ken Kvalheim had been active in the Mobile County Republican Party since 1983 but had never held a leadership position. That all changed in January, 2025 when he was unanimously elected chairman of the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee (MCREC).
Kvalheim had been Manager of Grants for the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. He is a former vice president of the Mitchell Company and president of the University of South Alabama National Alumni Association. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the University.
He replaced retiring Tricia Strange, who was chair for the previous four years.
Kvalheim had to replenish GOP funds spent in the 2024 elections. He also prepared Mobile County for state elections in 2026, when the governor’s office is an open seat. All state constitutional offices are up for election in November, 2026.
Other officers elected along with Kvalheim were Vice Chairman Stuart Lang, Secretary Jo O’Brien and Treasurer Butch Blum.
The GOP committee meets quarterly.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler is a freelance writer about the colorful and positive of Alabama – her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
