Scott Stadthagen previews 2025 legislative session and 2026 elections

With the 2025 session of the Alabama Legislature set to gavel in next week and the 2026 election cycle looming, House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) says he’s focused and optimistic.

The 47-year-old from Morgan County was first elected to the legislature in 2018 and was chosen to lead the House Republican Caucus after earning nearly 92% of the vote in his 2022 reelection bid.

Now entering his third year as leader, Stadthagen has a keen understanding of the needs and concerns of his members — a skill that will prove useful ahead of the 2026 election cycle — which places every House and Senate seat, as well as all seven state constitutional offices, up for grabs.

“As the majority leader, my prime focus right now is working on building name ID for our members in their districts,” Stadthagen told Yellowhammer News.

“That’s what I’ll be focusing on right from the get-go when session kicks off: Getting them out in their districts, press releases, doing the podcast, doing everything we possibly can do to help them get their name ID as high as it can be in their districts.”

Doing just that, Stadthagen recently resurrected the caucus’ podcast, In Session, which will highlight his seventy-five Republican colleagues leading into campaign season. Thanks in part to Stadthagen, the caucus also has a strong Facebook presence — where the podcast is published — and a well-designed website.

“From that, giving them the tools they need to be successful. Every single day of session, we’re going to have talking points on the calendar from a conservative Republican standpoint. That’s an extra tool in their kit that they can use on the floor to be more educated and more knowledgable about the bills that are going through the process,” Stadthagen continued.

“Everything I do as majority leader is for our members. How can we better them in the roles they play?”

Stadthagen reports that forging relationships within the caucus have been central to the effectiveness of it.

In the off-season, he gathers the caucus for their annual retreat to prepare for the next session, and he even began hosting a yearly November “Friendsgiving” dinner for members in 2023. At home in their districts, Republican legislators can always be found attending dinners, luncheons, and local GOP meetings together.

Stadthagen also serves as the primetime promoter of the Legislature’s annual spring charity ballgames. The Battle of Goat Hill pits the House against the Senate in a softball game benefitting Big Oak Ranch and will be played at the Montgomery Biscuits stadium on March 5 this year.

In April, the second annual Battle of Tombigbee baseball game, a matchup between Alabama and Mississippi lawmakers, will also be played in Montgomery. It was held in Jackson last year, and Alabama won. Leader Stadthagen has played a major role in the organization of both, and he is hoping to see record turnouts this year.

State Rep. Leigh Hulsey (R-Helena), who heads the House freshman class, told Yellowhammer News, “Leader Stadthagen’s conservative, small-business mindset has been very beneficial to our caucus operations.”

“The upcoming elections in 2026 will be a prime opportunity for Scott to demonstrate his team-player approach,” Hulsey added.

Likewise, Rep. Ron Bolton (R-Northport) wrote, “Leader Stadthagen stays on top of matters important to our caucus, making certain that we’re being responsive to the needs and desires of the public and that we are satisfying the pledges we’ve made. He keeps things moving smoothly and ensures that we are handling important issues as set by Speaker Ledbetter.”

The issues Stadthagen will be tasked with managing this year were laid out on Monday when the House Republican Caucus released its 2025 “Alabama Values” legislative agenda. Among the policy points emphasized in the agenda are border security and public safety.

Asked about the caucus’ plans to address immigration, Stadthagen declined to venture deeply into the upcoming proposal, saying he did not want to “take the thunder” from his members working on the issue. However, he did acknowledge that the issue became a priority after the Biden Administration’s Department of Homeland Security began relocating Haitian refugees to rural Alabama last year.

On the public safety aspect of the agenda, Stadthagen says that legislation will be geared toward addressing crime in Birmingham and Montgomery.

“We’ve got some bills that we’ll be working on to fix crime in those two cities, work with their local law enforcement, and get a grip with state agencies,” Stadthagen said. He noted that House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) has prioritized tackling the issue from a law enforcement perspective, which will be reflected in the upcoming package.

The Magic City garnered national attention in September after a mass shooting in the Five Points South district left four dead and seventeen injured. In December, Birmingham surpassed a 1933 record for the most annual homicides, ending the year with a total of 149. For comparison, the City of Montgomery reported 64 homicides in 2024.

Stadthagen says, to his knowledge, Mayors Randall Woodfin of Birmingham and Steven Reed of Montgomery — both of whom have received significant criticism for failure to tamp down violent crime in their cities — have been cooperative with caucus members seeking to help.

On the new Trump Administration and Republican majorities in both houses of the United States Congress, Stadthagen expressed excitement, particularly about the president’s flurry of executive orders targeting left-wing entrenchment in the federal government.

“Just like with the DEI stuff we passed recently, now the federal government is starting to hit on all cylinders like we are,” Leader Stadthagen said, referencing State Sen. Will Barfoot’s (R-Pike Road) highly controversial bill that banned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in state-funded schools and state agencies.

President Trump signed an executive order shortly after being sworn in to scrap all DEI programs within the federal government.

“With all of us being conservative Republicans in charge now, we’re going to be tit-for-tat across the board,” Stadthagen continued.

Stadthagen has consistently shown a willingness to wade into controversy with legislation he has backed.

A bill Stadthagen filed in December would prevent public K-12 schools and public libraries from knowingly presenting or sponsoring drag performances in the presence of a minor without the consent of the minor’s parent or legal guardian.

“Throughout our state, we’ve got men dressing like women in a sexual manner, which is unacceptable, so that bill will nip that in the bud,” Stadthagen said.

The bill will also prohibit certain state entities from allowing minors of opposite biological sexes to share restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping quarters during overnight programs, a provision Stadthagen says is a direct result of 2024 allegations of a transgender biological male having access to female dormitories at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Space Camp in Huntsville.

“If you’re a boy dressed like a girl, guess what? You’re going to be hanging out with the boys,” Stadthagen said, “The clothes you wear do not determine the sex you are.”

Stadthagen is also keen on passing State Rep. Susan DuBose’s (R-Hoover) ‘What is a Woman Act’ that will recognize sex as being determined at birth for purposes of state law.

Asked for comment on her relationship with the Republican leader, DuBose wrote, “I rely on Scott for his experience and guidance, and I contribute much of my ability to be an effective legislator to him.”

“When I passed my first bill protecting women’s sports at the collegiate level, his personal experience and guidance every step of the way was instrumental in that bill passing with bipartisan support in both chambers,” DuBose continued.

Stadthagen also intends to bring back the Alabama Property Protection Act with the intention of preventing landlords in Alabama from leasing to foreign entities. Stadthagen sponsored the original legislation which was signed by Governor Kay Ivey in 2023, but its scope was limited to the purchase of Alabama lands by China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.

“It’s come to my attention that there are people actually leasing to China and citizens of communist countries, so I’m bringing that bill back just to add leases,” Stadthagen said.

The 2023 bill ruffled feathers with organizations and some of Stadthagen’s colleagues. It was labeled “discriminatory” by The Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at the University of Alabama, so whether the addition of leasing to the legislation’s prohibitions will be controversial remains to be seen.

Despite some murmuring about the future of gaming legislation in Montgomery, Stadthagen believes the issue will not make a comeback during the 2025 session.

“The House will not be focusing on a gambling package at all. The only way it would come back up is if the Senate sent down a package, and I do not see that happening.”

As a young Republican leader in the state, it’s only natural that some may wonder if Stadthagen has considered running for higher office, but he is quick to rule that prospect out — at least for the foreseeable future. He will instead opt to seek another term as House Republican Leader.

“I will be running for my seat. I feel that you’ve got to go where God wants you to be, and if He wants you to be somewhere else, He’ll let you know,” Stadthagen said, “Right now, I’m where I need to be.”

Riley McArdle is a contributor for Yellowhammer News. He is a Junior majoring in Political Science at the University of Alabama and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama. You can follow him on X @rileykmcardle.