John Wahl, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, will face Democrat Phillip Ensler Wednesday night in the first partisan statewide general election debate held in Alabama since 2010.
The hour-long debate begins at 6 p.m. at WHNT News 19’s studio in Huntsville and will air live on Nexstar stations in Birmingham, Mobile and Dothan, as well as WRBL in Columbus, Georgia, and the stations’ streaming apps.
Both campaigns agreed to one-minute opening and closing statements, questions from News 19’s political team and from viewers, and a reply and rebuttal on each question. Wahl won a coin flip last week and chose the final closing statement, which means he gives the first opening statement and Ensler takes the first question.
The last time Alabama’s two major-party nominees for a statewide office debated on television was October 2010, when Republican Robert Bentley and Democrat Ron Sparks met at Athens State University in the governor’s race. Republicans have held the Lt. Governor’s office since that election.
“I’m excited to participate in the first statewide debate in Alabama in sixteen years,” Wahl said.
“Talking about the issues that affect the people of Alabama is incredibly important and one of my top priorities. I believe debates are an important part of the political process and a great opportunity for voters to hear directly from candidates about where they stand on the issues and how those positions will affect their day-to-day lives.”
Wahl, of Limestone County, chaired the Alabama Republican Party for five years before resigning in January to run. With President Donald Trump’s endorsement, he led a crowded May primary field and defeated Secretary of State Wes Allen in the June runoff.
This is his first run for elected office.
Ensler, an attorney, is an outgoing member of the Alabama House from Montgomery. He flipped a Republican-held seat in 2022, decided not to run for re-election, saying he would instead move to New York, before ultimately throwing his name in the ring for Lt. Governor in 2026.
Wahl said he agreed to the debate because he believes in the importance of open dialogue, government accountability, and giving Alabama voters the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent them.
“I’m not a typical politician,” Wahl continued. “I’m proudly the outsider in this race, and I will continue to stand up for the people of this state, speak directly to them, and fight for their rights, their freedoms, and the values they believe in. It’s time for Alabama government to put people first, lower taxes, and bring down the cost of living.”
Wahl has made defending constitutional rights, protecting individual freedoms, cutting taxes, bringing down the cost of living, and putting Alabama families first central priorities of his campaign. He has also emphasized the importance of ensuring that government remains accountable to the people it serves.
“That’s why I’m running, and I’m not afraid to discuss these issues on any platform, including the debate stage,” he said. “I look forward to standing up for the people of Alabama in Montgomery and always being their voice as we fight for better government.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee.
