Wayne Rogers

Wayne Rogers earned a high school diploma from Thomasville High School, a bachelor's degree from Samford University in 1984, and a law degree from Samford University in 1988. His career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a native of Thomasville, a small town in southwest Alabama, but have lived in Birmingham for 45 years. I have practiced law in Alabama since 1988. Currently, I serve as Executive Assistant to Sheriff Mark Pettway, the first Black Sheriff in the history of Jefferson County. I joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2019. As a litigator, I appeared in court in 66 of Alabama’s 67 counties, representing Alabama based small businesses and individuals. Currently, I serve on the Boards of several mental health related entities, including the JBS Mental Health Authority. I also serve on the National Board for Crisis Intervention Teams International, the leading organization in the world for providing law enforcement with training in dealing with mental health and addiction crises. I have been married to Lauri Sutton Rogers for 38 years. We have 3 grown children, 3 wonderful daughters in law and 3 grandchildren.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Alabama needs to end straight ticket voting. As one of only six states that allows straight ticket voting, Alabama has a system that puts Party above individual candidates, depriving many excellent candidates of an opportunity to win elections. In 2024, some 67.7% of all Alabama voters cast straight party ballots.Alabama needs to adopt Early Voting. As one of only three states that does not allow early voting, Alabama continues a long tradition of making it hard to vote. We ought to provide more, not fewer, chances for our citizens to vote.Alabama should allow absentee voters an opportunity to cure defective ballots. I have worked elections from the inside and seen how many mailed in absentee ballots are disqualified, without any opportunity for correction of errors on the part of the voter. In fact, Alabama does not even notify those voters of the defect, but simply disallows those votes, thus disenfranchising voters who do not get everything perfect on their mailed in ballot.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Voting Rights for ALL citizens!

Mental Health and Addiction treatment.

Improvements in our Prison System.

Fair and equitable treatment of all citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, national origin or ability.

Campaign websiteRogers' campaign website stated the following:THE ISSUESJust and Fair Administration of ElectionsThe Secretary of State must be an impartial scorekeeper when administering elections. Partisan politics should never play a part in determining who received the most votes. Working with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, I saw how important the just and fair administration of elections can be, and how dedicated the folks who work elections are to providing accurate results to the public. As Secretary of State, I will ensure that elections in Alabama are conducted fairly, in a nonpartisan fashion and in accordancewith the law.Make Voting a Priority for Every Eligible VoterAlabama has been at the forefront of voting issues for much of its history. The next step in voting is to encourage ALL eligible voters in Alabama to make voting a priority in their everyday life. As Secretary of State, I will work to explain the importance of voting to Alabama’s voters, and I will work to expand opportunities to cast ballots to all those whoare eligible to do so.Alabama Values for Alabama VotersAs a small child growing up in rural Alabama, I learned from my grandparents the value of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you; of being a good person in every situation you encounter; of doing what you tell folks you are going to do. Alabama needs politicians who will go back to those values – politicians who put people over party, who put will remember what they were taught in Sunday School, who will do the right thing even if it might not line up with what the party bosses say. My grandad (“Papa” to many folks who knew him) told me often that you can’t always be the smartest person in the room, but you CAN always be the kindest. We don’t need the smartest folks running for office – we need the kindest!— Wayne Rogers' campaign website (April 23, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.