In a weekly leadership talk held by the Business Council of Alabama on Tuesday morning, Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) covered a lot of ground on legislative topics, but he also went scorched earth on Mo Brooks.
Last week, Brooks, 71, announced a last-minute primary challenge to State Rep. James Lomax (R-Huntsville), 34, on the day candidate qualifying ended. According to Brooks, he was recruited to run against Lomax, and did so because he gave his word to campaign backers that if they raised enough money, he would run.
After some hesitation to wade into something that was clearly on his mind, Ledbetter responded to a question about stability in the legislative process by saying that good leaders make the difference.
“Let me say this. I’m gonna say it. You’ve got somebody like James Lomax, who is an outstanding young man, super, super smart — who is a future leader of this state, without question. And what he’s doing for Huntsville, Alabama — the growth you’re seeing, and the work he’s put into it to help make it that way. Then you’ve got somebody like Mo Brooks running against him that has failed at every office he’s been in,” Ledbetter said to a room full of applause.
I mean, this is not about politics. This is about running this state in a manner where we can succeed.
And the last time I looked, the last poll I saw, the Alabama Legislature approval rating by the people of this state was 68%, the last time I looked, Mo Brooks’ approval rating when he was in Congress was 15%. There’s a lot of difference between that.
We pay our bills, we’ve got money — and he owed $30 trillion when he left office. So, I don’t think he should trade the old for the new.”
Brooks is a six-term former Congressman, former Madison County Commissioner, former District Attorney, and former member of the Alabama House of Representatives — the office he is now seeking again.
Video of Ledbetter’s remarks:
Today is day 7 of the 2026 legislative session. The 2026 primary election is on May, 19, now 112 days away.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
