Will Alabama elect a Never-Trumper?
By Easton Martin | January 21, 2026
Alabama has long been one of the most reliably pro-Trump states in the country. Republican voters across the state have consistently supported President Trump and the America First agenda. However, a troubling disconnect is emerging between the will of the electorate and the choices likely to appear on the ballot in a major statewide contest.
That dynamic is playing out in the race for Alabama lieutenant governor, where Secretary of State Wes Allen has entered the contest for the Republican nomination. Following the withdrawal of AJ McCarron, the most prominent Trump-aligned candidate, Secretary of State Wes Allen now faces no serious opposition from the pro-Trump wing of the party. Examining Allen’s political record, it’s clear that he is no friend of President Trump or the America First movement.
In August 2023, ahead of President Trump’s visit to Alabama, the Trump campaign contacted leading elected officials seeking endorsements. Wes Allen was the only official who declined to offer his support. Allen’s refusal to endorse President Trump made him the odd man out among Alabama Republicans.
Allen’s hesitancy to endorse President Trump wasn’t just a fluke. A senior Trump campaign official who desired to remain anonymous remarked regarding Wes Allen:
Wes [Allen] was a ‘Never Trumper’ and very unhelpful. Jocelyn Benson, the Soros-funded Michigan Secretary of State, was more helpful in getting Trump on the ballot in Michigan than Wes was in Alabama. She could have put up a fight if she wanted to. Wes Allen should have been helpful—it was a no-brainer—but he was just a roadblock.
During the 2024 general election cycle, the Trump campaign requested standard delegate certification documents from the Secretary of State’s office. Allen’s office declined to provide the materials, forcing the campaign to bypass him and seek assistance from Governor Kay Ivey’s office, which supplied the information immediately. Such obstruction is exactly the type of behavior the party must eliminate, not tolerate, if it hopes to remain unified.
Allen’s political associations further expose his positioning. His chief campaign consultant, Angi Horn, has been an outspoken critic of President Trump and ran as a delegate for Nikki Haley during the 2024 Republican primary. Haley represented the establishment wing of the party in direct opposition to Trump. Allen’s long-standing professional relationship with Horn places him firmly within that political orbit.
More troubling is Allen’s decision to compensate Horn with taxpayer funds by bringing her into the Secretary of State’s office as a contractor. This arrangement has raised legitimate concerns about Allen’s blending of campaign operations with his official government duties.
Allen’s record on election integrity is yet another area of friction with Trump administration policies. He has resisted multiple transparency measures championed by President Trump and conservative lawmakers, including opposition to post-election audits.
According to election security expert Dr. Douglas Frank, “The state’s election system is completely controlled by ES&S. There is really no appetite for fixing elections beyond a few key people. It does not seem like Wes Allen is going to help this cause.”
Dr. Frank also pointed out Allen’s support of Alabama HB 67; while on its face an innocent bill, it would in turn likely cause further difficulty in auditing voter rolls for any sort of voter fraud.
The question before Alabama voters is straightforward. Will the state elect a lieutenant governor who declined to endorse President Trump, aligned himself with establishment operatives, obstructed campaign requests, and opposed election integrity reforms?
For a state that overwhelmingly supports President Trump, Wes Allen’s record stands apart from the priorities of the Republican electorate, especially election integrity. It’s clear who Wes Allen stands with, where his loyalties lie, and whose interests he prioritizes.
Instead of standing with the grassroots conservative movement, Allen has aligned himself with the Bush-era Republican establishment, the same political class Alabama Republicans have rejected time and again. His choices not only tell a story of a politician out of step with the people he claims to serve, but also establish a demonstrable pattern of resistance against the Trump administration.
