Allen was elected in the 2012 Alberta general election as a Progressive Conservative candidate defeating incumbent MLA Guy Boutilier who had left that party to sit as an Independent and later a Wildrose MLA in a closely contested election. He was appointed by Premier Redford as the special advisor to the Minister of Transportation for highway 63 on May 22, 2012. Beginning in 2012, Allen served as a member of the Standing Committees for Private Bills, Resource Stewardship and Public Accounts. He was previously the chair of the Select Special Conflicts of Interest Act Review Committee. He had also served as a member of the Standing Committee on Families and Communities and the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders, and Printing. Allen served as a member of Treasury Board and the Alaska-Alberta Bilateral Council and had also represented Alberta on the Council of State Governments – Midwest. Allen moved to Fort McMurray in 1993 with his family and purchased Campbell's Music, where he was able to combine his business administration background and career as a professional jazz musician to create a successful and thriving business. Allen began transitioning from business to community leader when he was nominated to a position on the board of Fort McMurray's Chamber of Commerce. He served two terms as president. In 2007, Allen was elected to city council, serving two terms as a councillor. Business leader, community leader and now provincial elected representative, he continues to serve Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo, the community he calls home. On July 16, 2013, Allen resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus after his involvement in a prostitution sting operation in Minnesota which resulted in his arrest. He was charged with one count of hiring or agreeing to hire a prostitute in a public place. In late 2013 Allen pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a $500 fine plus legal fees. On July 7, 2014 at the annual Calgary Stampede meeting the PC caucus voted in a closed ballot to invite Allen back into the PC caucus. In the 2015 election, Allen was defeated by Wildrose candidate Tany Yao. Allen was re-elected to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo's Municipal Council in 2017.
