Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

In a recent straw poll conducted by the Young Republican Federation of Alabama, secretary of state candidate Wes Allen held a sizable lead over Chris Horn.

Allen currently serves Pike County in the Alabama House of Representatives District 89. Horn, also a Republican, is chairman of the Tennessee Valley Republican Club. Allen polled at 72 percent and Horn polled at 28 percent in the secretary of state’s race. The poll was conducted at the YRFA winter meeting.

“I am grateful for the support in straw poll,” Allen said. “I am working hard to visit every county in the state to speak them about my campaign to become Alabama’s next Republican secretary of state. I believe that is poll shows that our message is getting through and it is resonating with voters who want a solid Republican with elections administration experience to serve as secretary of state.”

Allen is a freshman representative in the House and previously served as Pike County’s probate judge. While serving as probate judge, Allen was responsible for overseeing the county’s elections. He led more than a dozen elections with no reported errors. As a representative, Allen sponsored a bill to permanently ban curbside voting and also fought against an effort to establish a no-excuse required absentee voting policy.

In the straw poll, incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey led all challengers with 54 percent. She was followed by Tim James at 17 percent, Lindy Blanchard at 13 percent, Dean Odle at 12 percent and Jim Ziegler at 4 percent.

In the U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, Katie Britt led the field, polling at 44 percent. Huntsville Congressman Mo Brooks followed at 28 percent, Mike Durant at 13 percent, Jessica Taylor at 7 percent, Mike Dunn at 6 percent and Jack Schaffer at 1 percent.

For state auditor, Stan Cook led the poll at 57 percent, followed by Rusty Glover at 27 percent, Andrew Sorrell at 12 percent and Brent Woodal at 4 percent.

For the Alabama Supreme Court, Greg Cook led Debra Jones by a slim 51-49 percent margin. For the Public Service Commission, John Hammock led Jeremy Oden 56-44 percent.

The state’s Republican and Democratic primaries will be held on May 24, 2022.