Republican Steering Committee upholds Dean Odle's removal from the ballot

February 15, 2026 – HOOVER, Ala. – The Alabama Republican Steering Committee voted to uphold their previous decision and keep pastor Dean Odle off of the Republican ballot for Lieutenant Governor.

The 21-member committee had removed Odle two weeks previously for violating the "sore-loser" rule when he asked voters to vote for him as a write-in candidate for Governor in the 2022 general election after he lost the Republican primary to Governor Kay Ivey. Odle had asked the committee to reconsider their decision. They voted not to reverse their previous ruling.

"The ALGOP Steering Committee hearing began at 5:00pm today," said Odle on Facebook afterwards. "It ended with them sticking to their decision to keep me off of the Republican ballot for Lt. Governor. I will be praying about my next move. It's never wrong to fight for truth and freedom!"

Odle is a Lee County minister who also heads a private Church based school and homeschool study program.

Odle has gotten national attention for some of his more controversial views on astronomy, the nature of the cosmos, and his belief that the moon landings – indeed most of the space program and astronomy as we know it – was all fabricated by the government.

Odle's removal has angered some of his supporters.

"Dean Odle's ballot removal appeal was denied today, and Joan Reynolds should be removed as ALGOP Chair immediately," said pro-Odle Republican activist and podcaster Jonathan Hoffman. "What we're watching unfold is a political machine protecting itself. The ALGOP has become compromised by establishment figures who believe donors and insiders should choose candidates instead of the people. They don't want competition, they want control. And the moment voters start rallying behind someone they can't control, the system moves to remove them. That's not representation inside a party - that's gatekeeping power."

Odle's removal from the ballot does not do much to clarify the Lieutenant Governor's race. Dr. Stewart Tankersley, Wes Allen, Nicole Jones Wadsworth, Patrick Bishop, George Childress, John Wahl, and Rick Pate are all still on the Republican ballot.

Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl was challenged on his residency, but the steering committee rejected that challenged as being "frivolous."

The Alabama Republican primary is on May 19.

The eventual GOP nominee will still have to face the Alabama Democratic Party nominee in the November general election. That will be either Rep. Phillip Ensler (D-Montgomery) or Darryl D. Perryman. Current Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth (R) is term limited from running for a third consecutive term.

The Alabama Republican Party State Executive Committee will meet on March 7 to select a new chairman. The current announced candidates are: Stan Cook, State Representative Scott Stadthagen, and Chairman Joan Reynolds. Reynolds was elevated to the position after Wahl resigned to pursue the Lt. Governor position.

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