2022 Alabama Secretary of State election

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2022 Alabama Secretary of State election
← 2018
November 8, 2022
2026 →
Turnout38.5% Decrease
 
Nominee Wes Allen Pamela Laffitte
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 925,267 436,862
Percentage 65.88% 31.11%
Allen:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Laffitte:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      50%      No data
Secretary of State before election

John Merrill
Republican

 Elected Secretary of State

Wes Allen
Republican

The 2022 Alabama Secretary of State election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next secretary of state of Alabama. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State John Merrill was term-limited and could not run for a third term.

The Republican primary for this race was held on May 24, 2022. No candidate reached the threshold of 50 percent plus one vote, so an ensuing runoff to decide the nominee was held on June 21, 2022. Although outgoing State Auditor Jim Zeigler won the first round, state representative Wes Allen won the runoff and thus the Republican Party nomination. Allen defeated Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte and Libertarian Matt Shelby in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in runoff

Eliminated in primary

  • Christian "Chris" Horn, activist and candidate for the Alabama House of Representatives in 2014[3][4][5][6]

Endorsements

Wes Allen

Individuals

  • Christian Horn, activist and former candidate for this position, eliminated in primary[7]

Organizations

  • Alabama Association of Realtors[8]
  • Alabama Citizens for Life[9]
  • Alabama Farmers Federation[10]
  • Alabama Forestry Association[11]
  • Coastal 150[12]
  • Manufacture Alabama[13]

PACs

  • Alabama Realtors Political Action Committee[14]
  • Alabama RetailPAC[15]
  • ProgressPAC[16]
Jim Zeigler

Individuals

Organizations

Ed Packard (eliminated)

Individuals

Debates and forums

The Butler County Republican Party organization held a Republican candidates' forum on February 28, 2022, at the Wendell Mitchell Conference Center on the campus of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Greenville. The forum was attended by candidates Allen and Packard. The forum also hosted candidates for U.S. Senate, Governor, and the Alabama Supreme Court.[25]

The League of Women Voters hosted a forum for the candidates in the race on April 26, 2022, at the Farley Auditorium located inside the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery. Candidates Chris Horn and Ed Packard were present; Wes Allen declined due to scheduling conflict, and Jim Zeigler fell ill the morning of the forum.[26]

According to the Alabama Political Reporter,

When asked about ensuring access for certain marginalized groups such as the disabled, homeless and out-of-area college students, Horn said he knows what it is like to be a marginalized group as a Black man and formerly being paralyzed from the neck down.

"So the first thing is the Secretary of State must not be bureaucratic, but they must lead from the heart," Horn said. "They must have a heart to hear the concerns of those people, my people and those communities that I've been a part of, and certainly be able to listen to the organizations that represent their interests and have an open door— but it's a heart-based leadership."

Packard also said he would want to work with marginalized groups, adding that he has already been working with the National Federation of the Blind.

"I've been working with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program over at the University of Alabama to work on legislation to make voting for people with disabilities easier," Packard said. "And what I have put out ever since I got involved in this race back in December, is that we should allow those individuals who are disabled to vote the same way we allow overseas, military and US citizens to vote and that is electronically from the comfort of their home."

However, both candidates stated their opposition to early voting and no-excuse absentee voting.[26]

All four candidates were present at a debate hosted by Eagle Forum of Alabama at the O'Neal Public Library in Mountain Brook.[27]

All four candidates were present at the Doster Center in Prattville for a candidates' forum hosted by the Autauga County Republican Executive Committee.[28]

Candidates Allen and Zeigler squared off in a debate at the Gardendale Civic Center just over a week ahead of the Republican primary runoff on June 13, 2022. The debate was cosponsored by WYDE-FM and 1819 News.[29]

2022 Alabama Republican Secretary of State primary debates and forums
No. Date Location Host Moderator Link Participants
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee E  Eliminated   W  Withdrawn
Allen Horn Packard Zeigler
1[25] Feb 28, 2022 Greenville Butler County Republican Party N/A N/A P A P A
2[26] Apr 27, 2022 Montgomery League of Women Voters N/A N/A A P P A
3[27] May 9, 2022 Mountain Brook Eagle Forum of Alabama N/A Facebook P P P P
4[28] May 11, 2022 Prattville Autauga County Republican Party N/A N/A P P P P
5[29] June 13, 2022 Gardendale WYDE-FM Scott Beason
Becky Garretson		 Facebook P E E P

First round

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Wes
Allen		 Christian
Horn		 Ed
Packard		 Jim
Zeigler		 Undecided
Emerson College[30] May 15–16, 2022 706 (LV) ± 3.6% 14% 4% 2% 20% 60%
Cygnal (R)[31] May 6–7, 2022 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 14% 3% 4% 20% 59%
Wisemen Consulting (R)[32] March 15–17, 2022 905 (LV) ± 3.4% 11% 3% 3% 36% 47%
McLaughlin & Associates (R)[33][A] March 10–13, 2022 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 13% 2% 1% 26% 57%

Results

Republican primary first round results by county
  Allen
  •   40–50%
      50–60%
      60–70%
      80–90%
  Zeigler
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
      50–60%
Republican primary results[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Zeigler 237,482 42.7%
Republican Wes Allen 220,880 39.7%
Republican Christian Horn 54,572 9.8%
Republican Ed Packard 43,486 7.8%
Total votes 556,420 100.0%

Runoff

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[a]		 Margin
of error		 Wes
Allen		 Jim
Zeigler		 Undecided
McLaughlin & Associates (R)[35][A] June 13–16, 2022 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 30% 38% 32%
McLaughlin & Associates (R)[36][A] June 6–9, 2022 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 28% 34% 37%

Results

Republican primary runoff results by county
  Allen
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Zeigler
  •   50–60%
Republican primary runoff results[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wes Allen 248,132 65.4%
Republican Jim Zeigler 131,413 34.6%
Total votes 379,545 100.0%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Endorsements

Pamela J. Laffitte

Organizations

  • Alabama New South Alliance[39]

Libertarian nomination

No primary was held for the Libertarian Party, and candidates were instead nominated by the party.[40]

Nominee

  • Jason "Matt" Shelby, attorney[40]

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[41] Safe R December 1, 2021
Elections Daily[42] Safe R November 7, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Wes Allen (R)

State officials

Pamela J. Laffitte (D)

Labor unions

Results

2022 Alabama Secretary of State election results[45]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Wes Allen 925,267 65.88% +4.86%
Democratic Pamela Laffitte 436,862 31.11% −7.81%
Libertarian Jason "Matt" Shelby 41611 2.96% N/A
Write-in 663 0.05% -0.01%
Total votes 1,404,403 100.00%

By congressional district

Allen won six of seven congressional districts.[46]

District Allen Laffitte Representative
1st 67% 29% Jerry Carl
2nd 69% 29% Barry Moore
3rd 71% 26% Mike Rogers
4th 84% 14% Robert Aderholt
5th 66% 30% Mo Brooks (117th Congress)
Dale Strong (118th Congress)
6th 67% 29% Gary Palmer
7th 36% 62% Terri Sewell

Notes

References

External links

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