Lt. governor candidate Wahl visits Colbert County
“Two roads diverged in wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by.”
Poet Robert Frost included this line in his well-known work “The Road Not Taken.”
For Alabama lieutenant governor candidate John Wahl, life has been full of the road less traveled.
Being a farmer from western Limestone County isn’t that unusual, but Wahl doesn’t grow crops or raise cattle.
He raises butterflies on one of the biggest farms of its kind in the country. Until recently, Wahl even served on the board of directors for the Butterfly Breeders Association.
“That’s still my first passion,” he said. “It’s a very unique field. I grew up raised on a farm, and that was my hobby. I remember when I was thinking about what I wanted to do for a career, that was my first choice. I’m blessed to be able to do what I love. I have great clients. Most of my customers are zoos, botanical gardens and exhibits across North America.
“On a good week, we are shipping out over 5,000 butterflies. We raise pretty much anything exhibit quality that is native to the United States. I always joke that God must have a sense of humor, because he gave me the most beautiful and ugliest parts of life — butterflies and politics.”
Wahl visited Colbert County on the campaign trail last week. He said given recent changes, the area is going to be growing.
“Hadrian moving in here is incredibly big, and I think we are going to see increased growth around that,” Wahl said. “Especially with (President) Donald Trump being such a big advocate for the state of Alabama. I think this is the first step in a lot of growth and opportunity for The Shoals area.”
So, how does a butterfly farmer from Limestone County end up as the state chairman of the Republican Party?
Wahl said too often he saw politicians putting money ahead of people and not following through with their promises once elected.
“There is too much of that in politics,” he said. “Where politicians are more worried about holding on to power and money than putting people first. As you get tired of that and whine and complain, if you want something better, you’ve got to get involved and be part of it yourself. That’s what really dragged me into the political process and got me started on this journey and looking at how we can make government better for the people.
“With my role as state party chairman, my priority has always been helping make people’s lives better. That’s why I got into politics. I’m not a career politician and don’t want to be one. For me, my time in service has been about finding ways to take power and control from government and return it to the people and entrepreneurs who actually help drive the economy. This is kind of the natural next step in that service. I think moving from party chair to working for the people in the lieutenant governor’s role is a very easy transition.”
When it come to the lieutenant governor’s race, if elected Wahl said wants to take steps to improve the lives of people across Alabama.
“We are going to be looking into what we can do to improve education, the economy and makes ends meet,” he said. “There are so many families who are struggling right now just to put food on the table. How do we help people have a better life?
“We need more elected officials with that goal instead of getting stuck in what I call the ‘Montgomery bubble.’ We need candidates from the outside. Small businessmen like myself whose priority is to listen to voters, to put people first and not get stuck in the swamp and bureaucracy that government often becomes.”
Being on the campaign trail takes a lot of traveling. Wahl said he had to borrow a ride on a friend’s aircraft in order to fly from Mobile to Muscle Shoals for the recent visit.
“On an average day you wake up, do some talk radio, you get on the road, have a lunch meeting, fill the afternoon with some media interviews and then you are speaking to a civic group or Republican Party Club,” he said. “Every day there is something new. Every day you are visiting with a different group that is investing in the state of Alabama.
“Coming off of five years being state chairman for the Republican Party. I’m very used to the political process and visiting with folks. I love it. I love getting out there, talking with the people in the state and finding out their values, the things that are affecting their lives and what government can do to make it better. I really have a heart for the people of this state. It’s fun to be on the campaign trail and talking to the voters.”
Though Wahl is running for the office of lieutenant governor, he said he will not forget where he comes from.
It’s an honor to have been endorsed by President Trump and to have the backing I have at the state and federal level, but at the end of the day, I never want to lose sight of who I am and where I came from. I’m a farmer from west Limestone,” he said.
