During today’s convention of Alabama House Republicans in Auburn to elect leadership for the upcoming quadrennium, Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter was decisively nominated by members of the caucus to serve another term over the chamber as speaker.
The Speaker of the House is elected by the entire House body, with the full vote taking place on January 12th during the Organizational Session, now less than 70 days away.
“God is so good, and I owe everything to Him for guiding me to this moment,” Speaker Ledbetter said.
“The men and women of the House GOP are so much more than just colleagues – to me, they are family, and leading them has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Our success these last four years on issues like advancing education, cutting taxes, and helping build the greatest economy in Alabama history can be tied back to one common thread – and that is a shared dedication to doing what is best for the people of Alabama.
“I also would not be here without the unwavering support of my incredible family, and that starts with my wife, Teresa, who has been with me every step of the way. While I am very proud of the results this body has delivered for our state, I am not satisfied. There is still much work to be done, and I am confident the House Republican Caucus will continue building on our successes, tackling the challenges ahead, and delivering results for the people we are so blessed to serve.”
Ledbetter also said Wednesday that 91% of incumbent House Republicans won reelection and the caucus held every seat vacated by an outgoing Republican, keeping a 74-member supermajority in the 105-seat chamber.
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“Like the rest of the country, Alabama Republicans found themselves in some very tightly contested races last night, especially down the ballot. I am proud to say that 91% of incumbent Alabama House Republicans prevailed. We also won all seats previously held by outgoing Republican members. The House Republican supermajority stands strong at 74 members, and we will continue wielding that mandate to move our state forward,” Ledbetter said.
Twenty of 22 House Republican incumbents won Tuesday. All five seats held by outgoing Republicans stayed under GOP control.
“Our performance speaks to the quality of House Republican members and the work they have done to improve our state over the last four years. Phillip Rigsby and Leigh Hulsey played integral roles in those efforts, and I wish them the very best in their next chapters,” Ledbetter said.
Rigsby (R-Huntsville) and Hulsey (R-Helena) lost their general election races to Democrats.
Ledbetter also congratulated Governor-elect Tommy Tuberville.
“I would also like to congratulate my friend, and Alabama’s next great governor, Coach Tommy Tuberville on his win. The state of Alabama is in great hands moving forward,” Ledbetter said.
Tuberville was among the first people to call Ledbetter in 2022 when House Republicans nominated him for Speaker.
Ledbetter, 65, is a Plainview High School graduate from DeKalb County. He won a seat on the Rainsville City Council at age 23 and later ran unopposed for mayor, serving until 2002. He built a long career at Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative, which Alabama Living detailed after he became Speaker.
Voters sent him to the Alabama House in November 2014. In March 2017, House Republicans chose him as majority leader to succeed Micky Hammon, and the caucus re-elected him to the post.
Ledbetter served as majority leader under Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia). In 2022, he and McCutcheon led a Republican landslide that produced a 77-member caucus, the largest Republican supermajority in the history of the chamber.
The caucus nominated Ledbetter for Speaker after that election, and the full House elected him 102-0 in January 2023. He became the 67th Speaker of the Alabama House.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
