Latest news with #WesAllen
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate to run for lieutenant governor
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate will run for lieutenant governor next year against current Secretary of State Wes Allen. Pate, a Republican, was elected agriculture commissioner in 2018 and reelected in 2022. 'I've spent my life working the land, running a business, and serving my neighbors,' Pate said in a statement announcing his campaign this week. He also stressed his support for President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach who is running for governor. 'As lieutenant governor, I'll bring that same hands-on leadership to supporting President Trump and Coach Tuberville in advancing the America First Agenda — so Alabama stays a place where families thrive, agriculture prospers, and conservative values lead the way.' The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate, breaks ties in the chamber, steps in for the governor if that office becomes vacant and also makes a range of appointments, including for committees that dictate legislative priorities. The position used to have more power in the the legislative process, but those duties were given to the Senate's president pro tempore in 1999 after a partisan power struggle. Allen, who is also a Republican, previously announced that he would seek the position. Current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who has served two terms, can not run again because of term limits. Party primaries are May 19, 2026, followed by the general election on Nov. 3.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ, voting rights groups drop lawsuit against Alabama Secretary of State
ALABAMA (WHNT) — The U.S. Department of Justice and voting rights groups have dropped a lawsuit filed against Alabama and Secretary of State Wes Allen last election season. The lawsuit was aimed at halting a program started by Allen to remove thousands of so-called non-citizens from Alabama's voter rolls. A DOJ report later found that many of the people identified by the secretary of state's program were in fact native-born or naturalized citizens, who were legally registered to vote. NASA to continue analyzing data after completion of Firefly's first moon mission In a press release addressing the dropped lawsuit, the DOJ said it is now allowing the state of Alabama the space to create a legal and efficient program to remove non-citizens from its voter rolls. The lawsuit was filed in 2024 by the Biden Administration. Allen said both he and the Trump Administration are taking a strong stance against non-citizen voting. 'You've got to have clean and accurate voter files,' said Allen. 'President Trump's DOJ decided to dismiss the case and, you know, it's a win for the Constitution. It's a win for the rule of law, and it's a win for election integrity.' In August, Allen attempted to remove 3,251 people he said were not citizens from Alabama's voter rolls, 84 days before the 2024 election. The move violated federal election law. The Voting Rights Act says states can not remove registered voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election. The DOJ said it found the Secretary of State's office had used outdated data to check the citizenship status of voters. In October, a district court judge ordered Allen to contact voters wrongly identified and tell them they could vote. Now that the DOJ's lawsuit has been dropped, Allen said his office will work to identify non-citizens and remove them from Alabama's voter rolls. 'Our team is constantly working on voter file maintenance,' Allen said. 'It's just like daily hygiene. Take showers, wash your hair, brush your teeth, it's just like that with voter file maintenance.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Birmingham nonprofit to offer free meals to low-income families
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Daniel Payne Legacy Foundation announced its newest initiative to provide free meals for low-income families. The initiative is called 'Daniel's Meal Subscription Service' and will provide weekly meals for families with low to moderate income who live in the District 9 footprint of Birmingham for 12 months. The initiative starts April 5 at noon. Voting rights groups, DOJ drop lawsuit against Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen over voter roll purge The program will provide 32 to 36 meals to each household. The first 100 families will be selected via a raffling system. Community members can sign up for the program for $125 a month. Applications will be available on the foundation's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announces bid for lieutenant governor
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen walks toward a podium during inauguration ceremonies at the Alabama State Capitol on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama. Allen announced in a news release he will run for Lt. Governor. (Stew Milne/Alabama Reflector) Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said Tuesday he plans to seek the Republican Party's nomination for lieutenant governor. Allen, serving his first term as secretary of state, said in a statement that he was 'incredibly proud' of the work he had done in the office. 'The Lt. Governor seat will be an open seat in the 2026 election and I believe it is time for me to take my record of conservative, effective leadership to that office,' the statement said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, widely expected to run for governor, has served two terms and is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive one. The lieutenant governor presides over the Alabama Senate and breaks ties in the chamber; has some appointment powers and becomes governor should that office become vacant. The office used to have significant power over committee appointments and the flow of legislation in the Senate, but those powers were given to the Senate President Pro Tem after a weeks-long standoff between then-Lt. Gov. Steve Windom, a Republican, and the Democratic-controlled Senate in 1999. Allen served as the probate judge for Pike County for 10 years before winning election to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2018. He was elected Secretary of State in 2022. Allen garnered attention in 2023 when he rescinded the state from the Electronic Registration Information Center system in which member states shared information with one another about people on their voter rolls. The Secretary of State's Office created the Alabama Voter Integrity Database that sought to recreate the information that Alabama received as part of the ERIC system. Observers said AVID largely duplicated the functions of ERIC. Allen had previously made an inaccurate claim on a conservative radio talk show that ERIC was launched with funding from George Soros, the liberal billionaire and frequent target of the right. The secretary of state is the lead defendant in Allen v. Milligan, the federal court case that led to the redrawing of Alabama's congressional map in 2023. The bulk of the arguments for the state were handled by the Alabama Attorney General's Office. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Associated Press
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announces he'll run for lieutenant governor
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, who championed the state's withdrawal from a voter registration partnership that became a target of some Republicans, announced Tuesday that he is running for lieutenant governor in 2026. 'My track record is crystal clear and I will stand up against any efforts to impose a liberal agenda on our society, our children and our businesses,' Allen, a Republican, said in a statement released by his campaign. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth cannot run for again because of term limits. He is considering a run for governor. After being elected as secretary of state, Allen withdrew Alabama from the Electronic Registration Information Center, citing privacy concerns. ERIC was a multistate effort to fight voter fraud Several Republican-led states cut ties with the group. Allen replaced it with the Alabama Voter Integrity Database and announced agreements with several states to share information. As secretary of state, Allen backed a new law that put restrictions on assistance with absentee ballot requests that made it a felony to pay someone to distribute or collect applications. His office also backed legislation that expanded the list of felonies that cause a person to lose their voting rights in Alabama. Allen served in in the Alabama House of Representative for one term. He also served as the probate judge of Pike County for 10 years. As a lawmaker Allen sponsored legislation that made it a felony to provide gender-affirming medications, such as hormones, to transgender minors. Allen was one of several probate judges who — after judges struck down state bans on same-sex marriage — stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether to avoid issuing the licenses to gay couples. The state later changed the marriage license process. The state primaries are in May of next year.
