The Alabama Republican Party’s steering committee voted Sunday to deny a formal hearing in a ballot challenge against U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, allowing him to remain on the ballot.
In a related action, the Republican Party’s Candidate Committee dismissed a ballot challenge filed against John Wahl, determining that he meets Alabama’s constitutional qualifications to run in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. The challenge alleged that Wahl failed to satisfy the state’s seven-year residency requirement because he maintained a second residence in Tennessee. After reviewing documentation submitted by both parties, the committee concluded that Wahl maintained continuous residency in Alabama throughout the relevant period.
Wahl’s attorney, Bryan Taylor, said the committee found the legal arguments sufficient to dismiss the challenge at an early stage, concluding that Wahl’s Alabama residency was not negated by the existence of a second residence.
Wahl criticized the challenge as politically motivated and aimed at undermining his campaign, comparing it to residency-based attacks against Tuberville and broader political disputes involving Donald Trump. Wahl, who previously served as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said the challenge reflected a broader effort to use technical arguments to sideline political opponents.
Separately, the steering committee voted to advance two ballot challenges to formal hearings later this month. Jesse Battles, a candidate for State Senate District 10, and Angelo Mancuso, who is running for House District 7, will have the opportunity to present their cases before the party.
The committee also removed Dean Odle from the ballot under ALGOP bylaws governing so-called “sore loser” candidacies. Odle finished fifth in the 2022 Republican primary before launching a write-in campaign in the general election, a move party officials said triggered the disqualification.
In another decision, the committee dismissed as frivolous a challenge filed against Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman. Party officials did not provide further details on the dismissal.
With the rulings on Tuberville and Wahl, the party has completed its initial review of ballot challenges, with formal hearings in the remaining cases expected later this month.
