Wes Allen spent Monday touting his record as Alabama’s Secretary of State, which includes purging 5,500 dead voters, flagging hundreds of thousands more for removal, and championing laws that push back on election practices embraced in other states.

But Allen isn’t asking voters to return him to that job in 2026. He wants a promotion, though it was something he only spoke briefly about before a group of Mobile County Republicans on Monday.

Allen is running for lieutenant governor, setting up a rare face-off between sitting constitutional officers: Allen and Rick Pate, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.

In the early going, the two candidates are touting their experiences as they take early leads in fundraising or endorsements. While Allen is leaning on his statewide record and government resume, Pate is emphasizing his business background and small-town mayoral experience.

“It’s an open seat,” Allen told AL.com before addressing the Mobile County GOP. “It’s another opportunity for my track record. There will not be anyone else in the race with judicial experience, the legislative experience that knows how the legislative process works and at the executive level now as the Secretary of State.”

Also in the race: Opelika pastor Dean Odle, a 2020 gubernatorial candidate; real estate broker Nicole Wadsworth; and possibly Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl, who says he’s “seriously considering” a run.

Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who has butted heads with Allen in recent months over personal and professional matters, is also considering a run for the seat.

Incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is term-limited.

The lieutenant governor the second ranking officer of the executive branch in Alabama, and is the first officer in line to succeed the governor. The lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Alabama Senate.

Alabama is one of only five states in which voters elect the lieutenant governor and governor separately.

Early activity

Allen and Pate have raced out to an early advantage in campaign fundraising. Allen led the month by raising $128,300 in June from mostly contributions from individuals and businesses, ending the month with $259,651.

Pate raised $36,300 last month, ending June with $269,796 in campaign funds. He boosted his campaign through a $100,000 loan on June 10, and $133,731 in support from a political action committee called Friends of Rick Pate.

Wadsworth ended June with $37,160 in campaign funds, and Odle closed the month with $12,573.

Allen is a former probate judge in Pike County. He served in the Alabama House for one term before running and winning the Alabama Secretary of State’s race in 2022. He defeated another constitutional officer in that year’s GOP primary when he handily turned away former Alabama Auditor Jim Zeigler.

Allen could have run for re-election but is opting to run for the No. 2 state office behind governor.

The race comes with political risks for Allen. Pate has already secured one key endorsement, from the Alabama Grocers Association, and is hopeful his agricultural background will land perhaps the biggest conservative endorsement in the race from the Alabama Farmers Federation’s FarmPAC. Allen, in past races, has also gotten FarmPAC’s backing.

“Wes is a good guy,” Pate said. “I’m not throwing him under the bus. You have to pick one of us. So I would hope what (I have) accomplished in 6-1/2 years compared to what he has done … we bring completely different skills to the table.

He added, “I just bring a different set of skills to play. We’ve done so much as far as getting fresh fruits and vegetables to farmer markets and schools. We’re trying to have less processed foods. I’ve brought more money back to the state than any Agriculture Commissioner combined in state history.”

Pate said he hasn’t worked much yet on fundraising, noting that the primary was still over 10 months away. He said he is working on securing endorsements, and anticipates “the money coming from them.”

Allen, asked how vital endorsements are ahead of the primary, said “we’re working hard. We’re asking people for our vote and will continued to do that until the election in 2026.”

Secretary of State

For now, Allen is focused on touting his time as Secretary of State. During his speech before the Mobile County GOP, he didn’t address his intentions for the lieutenant governor’s seat until after his presentation and during a Q&A session.

He said there are 167 boards and commissions the lieutenant governor appoints, and vowed to “make sure we are appointing solid, conservative individuals” to them.

Allen has followed a conservative approach toward the Secretary of State role, and touted that background before the Mobile Republicans. He praised his efforts to purge the state’s voter rolls, including overseeing the removal of non-citizens. That led to a federal lawsuit last year by the U.S. Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden’s administration. The case was dismissed last month by Department of Justice under President Donald Trump.

“We were very confident that the facts in that case were on our side,” Allen said. “We were thankful the Trump DOJ dismissed the lawsuit.”

Allen also praised the efforts by Alabama Republican lawmakers to pass legislation preventing the state from implementing ranked-choice voting (RCV). The system allows voters to rank candidates in their order of preference, similar to how the Top 25 in college football is decided, until a winner is determined.

Often called an “instant runoff” election, RCV is viewed as an alternative to the expensive primary runoff elections that occur in Southern states including Alabama.

“It’s a recipe for disaster,” Allen said. “The way we do it now … with the top two primary winners in a runoff is the best way forward.”