Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl surged to a first-place finish in the lieutenant governor’s race Tuesday night, topping sitting Secretary of State Wes Allen 40.56% to 38% and setting up a June 16 runoff powered by President Trump’s endorsement.

Wahl pulled 192,431 votes to Allen’s 180,286 in a seven-candidate field.

The remaining five candidates combined for just 21.44% of the vote.

Rick Pate finished third with 7.29%, followed by Nicole Jones Wadsworth at 5.88%.

Trump endorsed Wahl earlier this cycle, and the former party chairman rode that backing to a lead few predicted in a race against a sitting constitutional officer with statewide name recognition.

Allen, who won the secretary of state’s office in 2022, entered the race as the perceived frontrunner but could not overcome the Trump factor.

The June 16 runoff will determine who carries the Republican nomination into the November 3 general election.

Voters who pulled a Republican ballot Tuesday or who did not vote in the primary are eligible to vote in the runoff.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].