MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAFF) – Tuesday is the big day! Alabama voters will head to the polls after months of ads, flyers in your mailbox, and door-to-door campaigning.
One critical race that is not getting as much attention is the 2022 Secretary of State Election. Four Republicans are on the primary ballot and in the running to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer.
Ed Packard, state Auditor Jim Zeigler, state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, and Christian Horn are the Republican candidates. Each candidate has talked about measures needed to tighten election security; the Secretary of State in Alabama is in charge of overseeing elections.
According to a poll conducted last week by Gray TV and the Alabama Daily News, many voters aren’t sure of where they stand in this race. Zeigler and Allen are leading the pack in the poll; however, almost 60% of voters are undecided.
Here’s what each candidate had to say about their candidacy in the upcoming election:
“I have sought to serve as a watchman against waste and corruption as a state auditor. I’m running for the open seat of secretary of state to be a watchman against election fraud,” said Zeigler.
Zeigler has served as state auditor for the last eight years; he was barred from running again due to term limits.
“I’m the only one in this race that’s been a chief elections official that’s done everything having to do with elections,” said Allen. He served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County.
Horn is a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. He says his campaign has been a calling, according to our sister station WSFA.
“Don’t need the job. Don’t need the fame. Really, I don’t even like politics, but I want to fight to make certain that everyone has the ability to have a fair and free election, and can cast a ballot and be counted,” said Horn.
Packard worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years. He believes his experience working directly with elections makes him a frontrunner.
“I’m not running because I want to be governor one day. I’m not running because I want to be a U.S. Senator one day. I’m running because I love the work that I’ve done in the secretary of state office, working not only with voters but also candidates, probate judges, absentee election judges, [and] voter registration officials…,” said Packard.
The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November.
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