Former Alabama Republican Party chairman and current leading candidate for the state's next lieutenant governor, John Wahl, recently boasted over $500,000 in donations to his campaign since being sent to a runoff election against Secretary of State Wes Allen.
Allen and Wahl are slated to face one another in a runoff election on June 16, after neither candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the May 19 primary. Wahl led in the race, earning 40.6% of the vote (192,432), a slight margin over Allen's 38% (180,292).
Recent preliminary polling shows Wahl leading by 15 points just over a week after the primary.
SEE: AM Research Group poll: Wahl tops Allen by 15 points in lieutenant gubernatorial GOP primary runoff
The race has been heated at times, with Allen funding attempts to officially challenge whether Wahl met the residency requirements to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.
SEE ALSO: Wes Allen campaign bankrolled attempt to have Wahl disqualified from lieutenant governor race
Now, with fewer than three weeks until the runoff, and over one week removed from the primary, Wahl is touting a hefty surge in campaign contributions.
Wahl's campaign stated on Thursday that more than $500,000 was raised in the first week of the runoff. According to the campaign, that total includes more than $475,000 in direct contributions with an additional $50,000 in committed independent expenditures from American Principles Project, a conservative advocacy group.
"This campaign has never been about the political establishment. It has always been about the people of Alabama," Wahl said. "I am humbled by the incredible support we have received since election night. Voters sent a clear message in the primary, and now donors, grassroots conservatives, and supporters across the state are stepping up to help us finish the job."
Online records from the secretary of state's website show that Wahl has received just over $510,000 since the primary, with his campaign having a total balance of $716,000 as of Thursday.
Allen has raised $242,000 since the primary, putting his campaign's total balance to $633,000, according to records from the secretary of state's website.
Wahl took a jab at Allen's own fundraising efforts in a media release, highlighting his $500,000 fundraising surge in the first week of the runoff compared to Allen's $197,375, claiming it reflected the "growing momentum behind Wahl's campaign."
"Our campaign is united, energized, and ready for the fight ahead," Wahl continued. "Alabama needs a Lieutenant Governor who will stand up for working families, fight to cut taxes, defend our freedoms, protect our children, and never back down from our conservative values. That is exactly what I will do."
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