The College Republican Federation of Alabama (CRFA) announced the results of its first straw poll of the 2026 Republican primary cycle on Wednesday afternoon after being open to members, alumni, and young Alabama Republicans for one week.
The results are as follows. Individuals who have been heavily speculated as potential candidates for office are denoted by an asterisk (*):
Governor
Senator Tommy Tuberville — 77.9%
Other — 22.1%
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary Wes Allen — 59.7%
Commissioner Rick Pate — 13.7%
Nicole Wadsworth — 6%
Former Secretary John Merrill* — 10.7%
ALGOP Chairman John Wahl* — 4.3%
Other — 5.6%
U.S. Senate
Attorney General Steve Marshall — 54.2%
Congressman Barry Moore* — 16.3%
Jared Hudson — 8.9%
Caroleene Dobson* — 7.3%
ALGOP Chairman John Wahl* — 2.8%
Former Secretary John Merrill* — 2.4%
Attorney General
District Attorney Pamela Casey — 57.9%
Former Justice Jay Mitchell — 21.3%
Katherine Robertson — 9.2%
Caroleene Dobson* — 8.9%
Other — 2.8%
Secretary of State
Auditor Andrew Sorrell — 80%
Other — 20%
State Treasurer
Treasurer Young Boozer — 85.7%
Other — 14.3%
State Auditor
Derek Chen — 47.4%
Josh Pendergrass — 30.5%
Other — 22.1%
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
Mayor Corey Hill — 40.7%
State Senator Jack Williams — 31.8%
Christina Woerner McInnis — 17.8%
Other — 9.8%
“The CRFA is looking forward to welcoming each candidate to our chapters throughout the state to earn the support of Alabama’s most energetic [Alabama Republican Party] auxiliary group,” the organization said in a post shared across its social media platforms.
Secretary of State and current Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate Wes Allen reacted to his resounding lead over a packed field on Facebook, writing, “The College Republican Federation of Alabama traditionally holds the first straw poll of the election season. I am grateful for their support, having received 59.7% of the vote.”
Earlier this week, Allen picked up the endorsements of a majority of Republicans in the Alabama House of Representatives.
Also notable is Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey’s sizable lead over former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell and Steve Marshall-endorsed Katherine Robertson.
Casey announced her campaign in January, as opposed to Mitchell and Robertson, who both waited until June to make their long-speculated bids official.
The 2026 Alabama Republican Party primary election will be held May 19, 2026.
Riley McArdle is a contributor for Yellowhammer News. He is a Senior majoring in Political Science at the University of Alabama and currently serves as Chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama. You can follow him on X @rileykmcardle.
