When John Merrill went to work Monday morning, it was the first time in 12 years he wasn't serving the people of Alabama in elected office.
Merrill, whose second term as Alabama Secretary of State ended last week, began his new position as Waggoner Engineering's Director of Public Policy and Strategic Markets for Alabama. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Merrill represented District 62 in the Alabama House of Representatives.
As Waggoner officials look to grow their presence in Alabama, Merrill will be called upon to use his vast network of contacts in Montgomery to open up opportunities for his new employer.
“My networking and experience will help them to be introduced to new opportunities in each of our 464 municipalities and 67 counties in Alabama,” Merrill said. “They are looking to expand their business and and their footprint in Alabama and we're excited about the opportunity to do that.”
Merrill will be based in Birmingham, but his job will call for a lot of traveling across the state, something he should be used to by now.
As Secretary of State, Merrill visited all 67 Alabama counties each year. His tenure as Secretary of State saw record growth in voter registration (2.2 million new voters registered and 3.7 million voters total).
Additionally, Alabama's elections were free from the cloud of controversy about election integrity brought up in many neighboring states.
“We have broken every record in voter registration and voter participation in Alabama. We have made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Alabama,” Merrill said.
Waggoner Engineering is headquartered in Jackson, Miss., and has offices in six states and Washington, D.C. The company provides engineering planning and development services for both private and governmental entities.
Merrill's wife, Cindy Benford Merrill, is a Phil Campbell native. The couple travel often to Franklin County for family events. Merrill was far and away Alabama's most visible, and accessible, elected official.
Most of the time he answered his phone on the first few rings. If he wasn't able to talk right away, Merrill would send a message promising to return the call, which he would do promptly.
His openness and candor with the media helped Merrill weather multiple political storms in the aftermath of two extramarital affairs. In 2015, when news of Merrill's first affair broke, he granted a no-holds barred interview request with www.al.com, where he answered all questions about the matter.
When news came in 2020 of a second indiscretion just days (even hours) before he planned to announce his candidacy for United States Senate, the turmoil was sufficient to curtail another political run for the two-time Secretary of State.
But Merrill's professional tenure saw Alabama become a national example of election integrity. While other states engaged in dubious election practices, Alabama has no such issues, thanks in large part to the job done by Merrill and his staff to ensure election integrity.
Merrill remains close with former President Donald Trump, and has visited Trump several times at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Should Trump win a second Presidential term in 2024, it would seem likely Merrill would have a role in the Trump Administration.
“The President would be the one to determine that,” Merrill said. “It's obvious I have a good relationship with the President and want to continue having that good relationship, and remain supportive and encouraging to him while being helpful when I can.
“I believe he will be a very formidable candidate in 2024. In less than one year, we'll have the Iowa caucuses and by April of next year, just 14 months from now, we'll likely know who the nominees will be,” Merrill added.
Merrill believes Trump respects him because of Merrill's willingness to be candid with the former President.
“The thing that helps me have a stronger relationship with President Trump than others in our state is that he seeks advice and counsel from me on issues important to him, especially those that are relevant to our state,” Merrill said. “I've always been forthright, open and transparent with him and encouraged him to make the best choice, not necessarily the best political choice, and he respects me for that in spite of the fact he doesn't always follow my guidance or counsel,” he added.
Merrill deflected on the question of whether he'd be part of a second Trump administration, but says he'd be willing to serve should there be a role for him in a Trump presidency.
For now, though, Merrill's focus will be on serving his new employer, Waggoner Engineering.
“I just want to make sure I'm doing what I need to do to be in the best position to provide for my family and make sure the people who hired me to work for them are getting more than what they invested in me, which is what I tried to give the people of Alabama,” Merrill said.
“I'll be all I can be for Waggoner, help them grow their business and be more successful than they ever envisioned in Alabama,” he added.
Commenting on this story has been disabled.
