Wes Allen: The Political Grifter of the Alabama Lieutenant Governor’s Race

By Christopher M Peeks February 02, 2026

Alabama Secretary of State and lieutenant gubernatorial candidate. Wes Allen

​In the Yellowhammer State, voters are blessed with several interesting races to follow this campaign season, but the Alabama GOP Lieutenant Governor’s race is like watching a roller coaster ride. First, A.J. McCarron seemed destined to follow Will Ainsworth into that office; then, in the latest Alabama election news coming from the Republican Party headquarters in Hoover, we saw the steering committee remove Pastor Dean Odle from the ballot.

​This is the most crowded field in recent history, with campaigns in full mode. However, of a particularly invidious nature is the campaign of Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen. His style is as repugnant as a dead rat and is bound to turn off voters.

​Allen, a nasty individual, has already gone negative and will no doubt increase the animosity in the coming weeks. The Secretary of State is a complete reprobate. A demagogue, he has proposed unconstitutional, racist legislation attempting to prevent naturalized citizens from holding public office in Alabama.

​Beyond these divisive tactics, he demonstrated he is a tyrant during a public spat with former Secretary of State John Merrill over Alabama voter rolls. It was in this exchange that Allen made his erroneous statements, attempting to take credit for election security rankings that Merrill actually achieved. Allen claimed he "orchestrated" Alabama becoming the number one state for election security, while simultaneously attacking the very systems Merrill used to get there. He created an issue that didn't exist by demanding Alabamians show their ID to vote; in reality, that is already the law of the land. He even took the salacious polemic to a vile level by introducing Merrill's past marital infidelities into the discussion.

​Equally alarming, in a recent social media video, the would-be Lieutenant Governor went after John Wahl, pointedly referring to him by his Hebrew name, Nehemiah—a dog whistle for antisemitism.

​Lastly, Wes Allen is a tergiversator, evading critics. During the January 20, 2026, Lieutenant Governor candidate forum, when the Opelika Reverend pointed out that Allen voted to raise gas taxes a few years ago, Allen deflected by calling Odle a "flat earther" instead of addressing his own voting record.

​Allen, a nihilist, cannot be trusted. The next Alabama Lieutenant Governor may very well follow Tuberville into the Governor’s Mansion. We have made mistakes before, and we cannot take this chance with such a charlatan. We deserve better.