Just two days after the primary, the Allen/Wahl runoff for lieutenant governor turned into a battle over who is the real Trump loyalist heading into the June 16 showdown.
Secretary of State Wes Allen struck first, releasing a statement claiming public records show former ALGOP Chairman John Wahl did not cast a ballot in the 2020 Republican primary, a race that featured both President Trump and then-candidate Tommy Tuberville.
“To be able to cast a ballot in a free and fair election is a special right that we have in this nation,” Allen said. “As conservative Republicans, we must go to the polls and make our voices heard in order to protect our values and our economy.”
Allen called on voters to follow his example rather than “following the lead of his opponent, who refused to vote for Donald Trump, Coach Tuberville or any of the Republicans on the primary ballot in 2020.”
“We have to do more than talk about wanting to stand up for our conservative values. We have to do more than talk about electing Republicans,” Allen said. “You have to actually go to the polls and cast a ballot to make a difference.”
Wahl punched back sharply.
“Wes Allen’s campaign is grasping at straws,” Wahl said. “It is ridiculous to say that I didn’t support President Trump because I missed one election due to circumstances outside of my control.”
Wahl flipped the attack, calling Allen the real obstacle to the Trump movement.
“Wes Allen was the Never Trumper who refused to endorse President Trump and spent the entire election cycle putting roadblocks in the way of the Trump campaign,” Wahl said.
Wahl claimed Allen declined to endorse Trump in 2023 when the campaign contacted Alabama officials seeking support, citing an article that described Allen as “very unhelpful” to the Trump campaign and accused his office of obstructing standard delegate certification requests during the 2024 cycle.
“Wes Allen is attacking me because he doesn’t want to talk about his own failed record when it comes to President Trump,” Wahl said.
Both candidates claim the stronger Trump connection. Wahl carries Trump’s endorsement in the runoff and served as one of Alabama’s nine Electoral College representatives who formally cast votes for Trump in the 2020 general election. Allen is the sitting Secretary of State who has overseen election administration during Trump’s second term.
The fight over Trump bona fides carries outsized weight in Alabama, where the president has won six consecutive statewide contests dating back to the 2016 primary and carried the state by 30 points in 2024. In a Republican runoff, the candidate who convinces voters they own the Trump lane holds the clear advantage.
Wahl finished first in Tuesday’s primary with 40.56% to Allen’s 38%. The June 16 runoff will determine the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
