3 Plaintiffs Challenge Another Republican Nominee’s Seven-Year Residency

Three people calling themselves “The Realtors” have challenged the residency of Republican Lt. Governor nominee John Wahl.

A suit in Montgomery County Circuit Court claims he does not meet the 7-year residency requirement to hold the office because he held a Tennessee driver's license in December 2020. That places his Alabama residency outside the Alabama constitutional 7-year window.

The challenge comes in the form of a lawsuit filed in the Montgomery County Circuit Court by Jarrod Wayne Shulte, Amanda Beth Shulte (a Limestone County couple), and Valtoria Jackson. The suit alleges that Wahl would not have been able to get a driver's license without providing a Tennessee address. The filing also points out that the former Alabama Republican Party chairman still held a Tennessee license on April 11, 2023, when he was stopped by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for speeding and presented it to a State Trooper.

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“This lawsuit is ridiculous," Wahl said in response to the suit.  "I was born and raised in Alabama, and I have always had a residence here. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to overturn the will of Alabama voters through the courts.”

The court document states Wahl was pulled over by troopers again on June 30, 2025, and presented an Alabama license with the name ‘Nehemiah Ezekial John Wahl’ on it. The suit claims Wahl was not issued that license until late January 2023.

An additional claim in the suit says Wahl was still a registered Tennessee voter until July 28, 2025.

The plaintiffs want Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, who lost the Lt. Gov. nomination to Wahl and later lost a challenge, to remove Wahl's name from the ballot.

That is where a major sticking point comes into play, as pointed out by former GOP Secretary of State John Merrill,

"The ballots have already been printed. They are being picked up today in all 67 counties," Merrill informed Tuscaloosa Thread. "The time to do the challenge was some time ago. This just proves this is just a political venture."

Merrill said he doesn't believe the suit will be successful.

The timing of the suit places a significant burden on the court to either kick it out or rule on it. Also, Alabama prints ballots for all 3.6 million registered voters, not just the expected turnout. The state reimburses counties for 50% of election expenses, which means reprinting could cost the state and counties more than $2 million dollars based on past figures.

Another interesting factor coming into play is that the suit was filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court, the same court that dismissed the major residency challenge against Tommy Tuberville earlier in the summer. That case is now awaiting an Alabama Supreme Court response to a plaintiff's appeal.

Legal observers believe the court will quickly issue a response as the November 3, General Election is approaching rapidly.

Counties begin mailing absentee ballots in just over a month, and there are just 62 days from today until polls open.