The Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) steering committee met via conference call on Sunday to discuss and determine next steps in ballot challenges, including efforts to remove U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) as a gubernatorial candidate and former party chairman John Wahl as a lieutenant gubernatorial candidate from the ballot due to residency challenges.
The committee voted against a formal hearing for either Tuberville or Wahl while two other cases were referred to formal hearings.
The party declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of the process.
An email from ALGOP chief of staff Shannon Whitt to steering committee members, as described to 1819 News, outlined the challenges the committee would address. The party received challenges to 15 candidates.
Of those, two were considered frivolous: the challenges of State Sen. Pro-Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) and Hillary Hall.
Four challenges were scheduled for committee review before a vote to refer them to full hearings. Among those up for committee discussion was the challenge against former ALGOP chairman John Wahl.
As previously reported by 1819 News, that challenge was made by former State Rep. Gil Isbell (R-Gadsden).
"The public release of the ballot challenges against both Mr. Wahl and Senator Tuberville reek of being political hit jobs. They are also an abuse of the Party's challenge process to exact political harm rather than to advance a serious or credible legal argument," attorney Bryan Taylor wrote in his response to the complaint against Wahl.
Having the challenge and response before them allowed the Steering Committee to decide without the need for additional formal hearings.
Three additional ballot challenges were deemed facially defective, including the challenge to Tuberville's residency.
Initially, steering committee members were told that six candidates were deemed ineligible for ballot access and were to be removed. Of the six slated for removal, one, Alan Crisologo, was restored after a residency challenge was resolved following new details that emerged.
Dean Odle was removed from the ballot based on ALGOP bylaws for "Sore Losers." Odle finished in fifth place during the 2022 republican primary and then ran as a "Write-in" candidate.
“Sore Loser: No person shall be permitted to qualify as a candidate for public or party office if in a prior Republican primary election that person was defeated and thereafter sought election to the same office in the same election cycle as an independent, write-in, minor party candidate or otherwise. This Rule is in effect whether the individual is defeated by a primary opponent or removed by ballot challenge. Additionally, the sore loser shall automatically be removed from all Republican Executive Committees.
The provisions of this Rule apply for a period of six years after such a person was so defeated in a Republican primary election.”
Two challenges will proceed to formal hearings later this month based on the following bylaw language:
The State Committee and County Committees shall, except by 3/4ths vote of the Steering Committee or Candidate Committee for state-qualified candidates or 3/4ths vote of the County Committee for county-qualified candidates, deny ballot access to a candidate for public or Party office if in a prior election that person voted or ran in the primary election of another political party, publicly supported another political party, a nominee of another political party or an independent candidate, financially contributed to another political party, a candidate of another political party or an independent candidate or was a member or officer of a club that is strictly aligned with another political party. The provisions of this Rule shall apply for a period of six years after such person so participated, but actions taken by incumbent Republicans or 2022 Republican nominees prior to the passage of this amended standing rule shall be exempt from consideration. The provisions of this standing rule shall also not apply to actions taken by any individual prior to that person successfully completing the party switching procedure, whether those actions occurred before or after the passage of this amended standing rule.
Jesse Battles, candidate for State Senate District 10, and Angelo "Doc" Mancuso, who is running for State House Race District 7, will both have the opportunity to present their case against their challenges later this month.
Battles faced two challenges related to two documents shared with 1819 News. Those challenges refer to prior paid work for a Democratic candidate, as well as recent support for Democratic elected officials and individuals associated with the Democratic Party.
It is unclear what the allegations against Mancuso are; however, 1819 News has found no indication that he has changed his party affiliation since his last run for office.
Members of the Steering Committee include:
- Joan Reynolds, Chairwoman
- Reed Phillips, Treasurer
- Carol Jahns, Secretary
- Krystal Drummond, Finance Chair
- Vicki Drummond, National Committeewoman
- Bill Harris, National Committeeman
- Alex Reynolds, Regional Chairman, Districts 1,2
- Renèe Gentle Powers, Regional Chairman, Districts 3,6,7
- Josh Dodd, Regional Chairman, Districts 4,5
- Jackie Gay, District 1
- William Rayborn, District 2
- Joe Lovvorn, District 3 Chair
- Bonnie Sachs, District 4 Chair
- Ben Harrison, District 5 Chair
- Chris Brown, District 6 Chair
- Vaughn Poe, District 7 Chair
- Tiffany Noel, President of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women
- George Williams, Chairman of the Alabama Minority GOP
- Stephanie Petelos, Chairman of the Young Republican Federation of Alabama
- Riley McArdle, Chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama
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