Dean Odle plans to appeal denial of ballot access

February 2, 2026 – HOOVER, Ala. – The 21-member Alabama Republican Steering Committee met by zoom call on Sunday to consider how to deal with the various ballot challenges that have been filed against a host of candidates. The 21-member committee voted to remove Lieutenant Governor candidate Dean Odle without a formal hearing where he would have been allowed to present evidence and attempt to refute the allegations made against him. Odle told the Alabama Gazette that he will appeal the decision.

." I do plan to appeal and will make further comments on all of this in the days ahead," Odle said. "For the time being, I will continue to honor invitations to speak to political groups and participate in candidate forums."

Odle was a 2022 candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. Governor Kay Ivey (R) easily defeated Odle and 7 other GOP candidates to win 54.5% to 45.5% for the other eight candidates combined. Odle received 1.8% of the vote. Odle openly disputed those election results and questioned the accuracy of the vote counting machines that Alabama uses to total the ballots.

Odle's validity as a 2026 Lt. gov candidate was based on the claim that Odle on his social media in 2022 urged voters to write in his name versus Governor Ivey in the 2022 general election. The challenge claimed that this action violated the "sore loser" provision in the ALGOP bylaws.

There is some precedent for this. Republican State Senator Harri Anne Smith of Dothan ran for Congress in 2008. She lost the GOP primary to state Representative Jay Love (R-Prattville). Smith then endorsed and campaigned for the Democratic nominee – then Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright in the general election for CD2. The ALGOP steering committee then denied Smith ballot access in her race for re-election in 2010. Odle's defenders cite that Odle did not endorse a Democrat.

Odle told the Gazette that he was not given notice or an opportunity to defend himself.

"I received my first official notification of me being denied ballot access this (Monday) morning at 8:29AM. Of course, the information had been leaked out of the ALGOP steering committee over the weekend. The email that I received from ALGOP Chief of Staff Shannon Whitt states, "Based on this information, you have been removed from the primary ballot for the Alabama Republican Party. If you would like to appeal your denial of ballot access and seek a 3⁄4 vote of the Steering Committee, please let me know in writing by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 4, 2026."

Sources had told the Alabama Gazette that Odle would be challenged and removed from the ballot months ago.

Odle is a Lee County pastor and private school master. His 2022 campaign for Governor included a staunch anti-covid vaccine stance and opposition to government shutdowns.

Odle was a guest of the Brandon and Christopher show podcast last year.

The committee – meeting in secret – rejected the challenges against former Republican Party Chairman John Wahl (also a candidate for Lt. Gov.) and Senator Tommy Tuberville (who is a candidate for Governor).

Wahl had been accused of being a Tennessee resident and Tuberville has been accused of being a Florida resident. Those challenges were dismissed as frivolous.

The committee will hold formal hearings on the challenges against Senate District 10 candidate Jessie Battles and Alabama House District 7 Angela "Doc" Mancuso.

Other candidate challenges were also dealt with in this secret meeting, but no details of any of this have been released to the public as of press time.

If Odle remains removed, the Republican primary ballot for Lt. Governor will include Wahl, Rick Pate, George Childress, Dr. Stewart Tankersley, Nicole Jones Wadsworth, and Rick Pate.

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