Who is running for Lieutenant Governor (Alabama) in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Lieutenant Governor (Alabama) on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for every voter in Alabama.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | John WahlRepublican | Phillip EnslerDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | No public position | Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenSaid · medium |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | No public position |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightSaid · medium | Add universal background checks and red-flag lawsSaid · medium |
| School choice | Yes, universal school choice for every familySaid · medium | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium |
| Curriculum and books | No single answer fits; see evidence | Keep access broad; removals should be rareSaid · medium |
| Election rules | No single answer fits; see evidence | Easier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyoneSaid · medium |
| Politicians trading stocks | No public position | No, ban it for members and their spousesSaid · medium |
| Redistricting | No public position | Legislatures draw maps under strict neutral rules that courts can enforceSaid · medium |
| Childcare and pre-K | No public position | Offer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aidSaid · medium |
John Wahl
RepublicanChairman, Alabama Public Library Service board; former Alabama Republican Party chairman
John Wahl was chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2021 to 2026 and chairs the Alabama Public Library Service board, which administers state funding for public libraries12. A Limestone County native, he runs a commercial butterfly farm he started in high school2. He won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in a June 16, 2026 runoff over Secretary of State Wes Allen3.
Where they stand 7 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he will oppose any attempt to infringe on the right to bear arms and will support legislation that strengthens it. (2026) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- His campaign site says he is proudly and unapologetically pro-life, that every child born and unborn is a gift from God, and that he will be a defender of the unborn. (2026) source
Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says control of schools should return to parents and local teachers and that classrooms should teach reading, writing, math, history and civics, not critical race theory, gender ideology or social activism. (2026) source
ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he supports President Trump's plan to secure the southern border, finish the wall and stop illegal immigration, and that Alabama should never be a sanctuary. (2026) source
Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says that under his leadership the state Republican Party championed post-election audit legislation and accountability for voting machines. (2026) source
Business regulationNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site supports pro-growth policies that reduce red tape. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Phillip Ensler
DemocratState Representative, Alabama House District 74
Phillip Ensler is a Democratic state representative from Montgomery who has served in the Alabama House since 2022, when he defeated incumbent Charlotte Meadows1. He holds a law degree from Cardozo School of Law and has worked as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, senior policy advisor to Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and policy counsel at Alabama Appleseed1. He describes himself as a former public school teacher2.
Where they stand 11 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls private school vouchers a fiscally irresponsible handout that weakens public schools and says government should not pay for private school tuition. (2026) source
- The Alabama Reflector voter guide reports he opposes programs that give public money to families for private school tuition. (2026-09) source
Curriculum and booksKeep access broad; removals should be raremedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says government should not be in the business of banning books and that parental rights should not let one parent decide what another parent's child may read. (2026) source
GunsAdd universal background checks and red-flag lawsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for required safe storage of firearms, a red flag law, and reinstating the permit requirement to carry a gun in public. (2026) source
- Cosponsored HB450 in 2026 (lead sponsor Rep. Hassell), a bill to bar possessing a firearm without valid identification in certain large cities. (2026-02-12) source
HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for defending Medicaid and Medicare and expanding Medicaid to cover Alabamians who earn too little to qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies. (2026) source
Childcare and pre-KOffer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aidmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site pledges to expand free pre-K to every Alabama family, renew the state Child Care Tax Credit Act, and pair tax credits with direct investment in the child care workforce. (2026) source
RedistrictingLegislatures draw maps under strict neutral rules that courts can enforcemedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says Alabama should pass a law that bans partisan gerrymandering and ensures fair maps. (2026) source
Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for expanding access to voting through early voting, no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in voting. (2026) source
Politicians trading stocksNo, ban it for members and their spousesmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for banning stock trading by statewide elected officials. (2026) source
Minimum wageNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for raising the minimum wage and notes Alabama has never passed its own minimum wage law. (2026) source
Term limitsNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site supports a reasonable limit on how long someone can hold office. (2026) source
Campaign financeNo single answer fitsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site supports a reasonable cap on how much one person can donate to a political campaign. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Abortion, Immigration, Energy and climate, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.