Derek Chen wasn't satisfied with earning a juris doctorate from Birmingham's Cumberland School of Law. So, he went back to the University of Alabama's Culverhouse School of Business and added a Master of Business Administration.
Now a constitutional conservative and fiscal hawk, Chen is considering taking his training and ideas into state government. He is actively exploring running for state auditor in the 2026 Republican primary.
The job will likely be an open seat because the current auditor, Andrew Sorrell, is himself exploring a run for secretary of state, which also comes up in the 2026 election cycle. The current secretary of state, Wes Allen, is actively exploring a run for lieutenant governor. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth is term-limited in 2026.
Chen is a successful businessman and lawyer from Vestavia Hills. His success affords him an advantage in running for office – he would have the ability to self-fund his campaign and would be able to do so generously. He will have the money to get out his message.
Fundraising for the 2026 races cannot start until May 26 of this year, but personal "pre-campaigning" for many offices is beginning already. Chen is already making the rounds, speaking and meeting local folks around the state. He has not formally announced his candidacy, but it is expected closer to the primary.
If you have been to a Republican event over the past few years, you have probably seen Chen. He has made contacts and developed a network of conservatives across the state. He has also been an active fundraiser for the GOP and conservative groups. Chen typically makes a donation to each event that is large enough to qualify him to invite a table full of guests. Could the Chen guests at political events eventually become part of a Chen Team for a campaign for state auditor?
Chen has been a "yuuuge" supporter of President Donald Trump since the start of 2015. He has met with Trump team leaders in Washington, D.C., and Mar-a-Lago, the Trump home and headquarters in South Florida. Over the years, he has developed relationships with leaders of the Trump organization. Could those Trump contacts develop into support for Chen for state auditor?
Chen, a natural-born U.S. citizen, comes from a successful family of Taiwanese heritage. Chen's family legally immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in the 1980s to escape the threat of Communism posed by the People's Republic of China. The 27-year-old now practices law in Vestavia Hills, focusing on trust and estates law.
The deadline to qualify to run in Alabama's 2026 elections is just over a year away – January 30, 2026. After that date, no further candidates can qualify to run in the Republican or Democrat primaries. Voting date for the primaries is May 26, 2026. The party nominees and any independent or third-party candidates who have qualified then run in the final round, the general election of November 3, 2026.
Jim' Zig' Zeigler writes about Alabama's people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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