Overview
- Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl qualified late Friday for the Republican primary a day after President Trump publicly endorsed him on Truth Social.
- Per party bylaws, Wahl stepped aside as chair, and the Alabama Republican Party named Vice Chairman Joan Reynolds as chairman effective immediately.
- Secretary of State Wes Allen, an early front-runner, condemned Wahl’s move as a betrayal of party obligations and pledged to continue his campaign.
- Wahl joins a crowded Republican field that now totals eight candidates for the open seat, with previously filed contenders including Allen, Commissioner Rick Pate, Dean Odle, Patrick Bishop and Nicole Wadsworth, and two additional entrants on Friday.
- The Republican primary is scheduled for May 19, 2026, with the seat open due to Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s term limits.