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November 3, 2026 | |||||||
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| Elections in Alabama |
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 Government |
The 2026 Alabama lieutenant gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next lieutenant governor of Alabama. The primary election will be held on May 19, 2026. Incumbent Will Ainsworth is term-limited and ineligible to seek a third full consecutive term.
Nicole Wadsworth's campaign was the first to attract media attention following a request that was sent out to news organizations, in which her campaign requested that she be called "Dr. Nicole Wadsworth". The AP Stylebook, which many organizations use to dictate how to write news articles, says that only medical doctors should be referred to as such. [11] [12] The next week, her campaign announced that they had made an error listing her credentials and that she had not received as PhD from the University of Alabama, but instead from the North Central Theological Seminary. [13] [14] That school had not been accredited by any organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. [15] Her entire campaign staff resigned following the report. [16] Later in June, her lawyers requested that 1819 News take down all stories relating to her academic credentials. [17]
Wes Allen has campaigned on his record as Secretary of State, especially his efforts to purge voter rolls. [18] Following A. J. McCarron's entry into the race, Allen stated that "I have a solid record." [19]
McCarron made his first campaign appearance in November, at an Eastern Shore Republican Women's luncheon. He did not make public comments, and his campaign representative stated that McCarron would be announcing his campaign initiatives soon. Allen was the only other candidate who attended the luncheon. [20] McCarron withdrew from the race in December to become the head coach for the Birmingham Stallions. [21]
AL.com first reported on a potential candidacy from John Wahl, the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, in April 2025 after Steve Flowers mentioned Wahl as a potential candidate in 2026. [22] Wahl confirmed to 1819 News that he was exploring a campaign for lieutenant governor in May 2025, [23] and 256 Today reported that he was still considering it as of November 2025. [24] Despite Wahl never formally announcing a campaign between then and January 2026, president Donald Trump endorsed Wahl as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor through a Truth Social post on January 22, 2026, shortly before candidate qualifying closed the next day. [25] He qualified to run on January 23, and raised over $1 million in the first twelve days of his campaign. [26]
| Campaign finance reports as of January 31, 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Other receipts | Spent | Cash on hand | |
| Wes Allen (R) | $1,048,925 | $260,000 | $141,998 | $1,166,926 | |
| Patrick Bishop (R) | $7,107 | $2,726 | $7,337 | $2,412 | |
| Rick Pate (R) | $447,182 | $250,000 | $133,502 | $563,679 | |
| Nicole Wadsworth (R) | $146,675 | $222,000 | $58,847 | $309,827 | |
| John Wahl (R) | $1,151,535 | $60,000 | $3,073 | $1,208,461 | |
| Source: Alabama FCPA [36] | |||||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [a] | Margin of error | Wes Allen | A.J. McCarron | Rick Pate | Nicole Wadsworth | John Wahl | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Alabama Poll [37] | February 1–4, 2026 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 23% | N/a | 6% | 6% | 6% | 59% |
| McCarron withdraws from the race | |||||||||
| The Alabama Poll [38] | December 15, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 18% | 31% | 8% | 2% | N/a | 41% |
| The Alabama Poll [39] | August 24–26, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 28% | N/a | 12% | N/a | N/a | 61% |
| Campaign finance reports as of January 31, 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Other receipts | Spent | Cash on hand | |
| Phillip Ensler (D) | $109,463 | $0 | $25,559 | $83,903 | |
| Darryl Perryman (D) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Source: Alabama FCPA [36] | |||||
Ensler announced his run for lieutenant governor in December 2025. He described Doug Jones' entry into the 2026 Alabama gubernatorial election as an inspiration for his decision. [44] His lone opponent, Darryl Perryman, qualified to run in January 2026. [45]
Others in the race include: ... Community Advocate George Childress
