Races for several of Alabama’s top political offices are wide open for the 2026 election, including the contest for lieutenant governor.

Secretary of State Wes Allen announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in February.

Opelika pastor Dean Odle, who ran for governor in 2022, was the first to announce a campaign for lieutenant governor in January.

No other candidates have announced, but several Alabama Republicans said they are weighing their options.

“I expect that race to be the best race on the ballot,” said Steve Flowers, a political columnist who is an author and a former state lawmaker.

“It’s going to be a crowded field when it’s all said and done.”

Flowers said other potential Republican candidates include Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate, Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh, former Secretary of State John Merrill, and Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl.

Pate, Merrill, and Wahl all said the race is a possibility but said they have not decided.

The seat is open in 2026 because Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is term-limited after being elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Ainsworth is considering a run for governor.

Likewise, the races for governor and for attorney general next year will be wide open because there is no incumbent. Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall are term-limited.

The decision of one potential candidate for governor, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, could affect who runs for lieutenant governor. Tuberville has said he might run for governor instead of seeking a second term in the Senate next year.

Agriculture Commissioner Pate, who like Ainsworth is term-limited after being twice elected to his current office, has said since last year that he might run for governor in 2026.

But Pate will not run against Tuberville if the senator enters the governor’s race, saying he did not think anybody but Nick Saban could beat the former Auburn football coach.

“I’m not going to run against Tuberville,” Pate said. “I can’t even imagine a scenario where I would.”

If Tuberville runs for governor, Pate said he might consider the lieutenant governor’s race. He said that is probably the only other office he would be interested in besides governor.

“I’m just saying if Tuberville gets in the governor’s race then that would be something I’d think about,” Pate said.

“I just feel like I’ve got something else to give,” Pate said. “And I know God will open a door. He has my whole life, and there will be something meaningful for me to do.”

On the other hand, if Tuberville makes it clear he is not running for governor, Pate said that race is still a possibility for him.

“Yeah, it certainly would be something I would go back and consider,” Pate said. “I think I could do the most good there.”

Pate said he has not yet had an in-depth discussion with his wife Julie and two grown sons about the next election.

Candidates can officially begin raising money in May, one year before the primary in 2026.

“When the time comes in May – Tuberville makes a decision one way or other other – I’ll make a decision soon after that,” Pate said.

Merrill served one term in the Alabama House of Representatives before he was elected secretary of state in 2014. He was re-elected in 2018.

In 2021, Merrill considered a run for the U.S. Senate until a woman disclosed an extramarital affair with him. Merrill issued a public apology and did not run for office in 2022.

Merrill moved to the private sector, as director of public policy and strategic markets for Waggoner Engineering, a multi-state civil engineering firm based in Jackson, Miss.

Merrill said he said he is receiving encouragement to return to politics.

“I’ve had more people that have talked to me about running for office in the ‘26 cycle than I’ve ever had talk to me about running for any office at any time in my life,” Merrill said.

“It’s really been pretty remarkable. And I’ve been very encouraged by the support that I’ve received all over the state.

“That (lieutenant governor) is one of the offices that we are considering.”

Merrill was asked if he is concerned that voters will not support him because of the revelation of the affair a few years ago. He said his main concern is how his family was affected.

“And they have forgiven me for my transgressions,” Merrill said. “And in the end, this is the thing that needs to be understood.

“When I’m through with public service, the only people that really care about me or care about supporting me are the members of my family, period.

“So the only people that I really have to make sure that I am right with and that I’m doing things the way that I need to be doing them with are the people in my family.”

Wahl, the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party since 2021, was re-elected to that position at the state GOP’s winter meeting on March 3.

Asked about a potential run for lieutenant governor, Wahl said he is hearing encouragement to run for office next year, as well as encouragement to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

For now, Wahl said he is concentrating on doing his job as state GOP chairman and seeing how things progress.

Cavanaugh could not be reached for comment about whether she is considering a run for lieutenant governor.

Cavanaugh ran for the office in 2018 and lost a close race to Ainsworth in the Republican primary runoff.

Cavanaugh, a former Alabama Republican Party chairwoman, won her fourth term as president of the Public Service Commission last year.

Flowers said he believes Cavanaugh would be a strong candidate for lieutenant governor if she decided to enter the race, possibly a slight favorite.

Flowers said the field should take shape by the time candidates can begin officially raising campaign funds, which is May 16, one year before the primary.