Jesse Battles announced over the weekend that he will run as an independent candidate for Alabama State Senate District 10, continuing his campaign into the November general election after being removed from the Alabama Republican Party primary ballot earlier this year.
Battles’ name will not appear on the May 19 Republican primary ballot, which features incumbent State Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) and challenger Amy Dozier Minton.
In his April 19 announcement, Battles said his decision followed “much prayer and many heartfelt conversations with the hardworking people of Northeast Alabama.”
“This campaign was never built in back rooms. It was built by you: neighbors, friends, and families who care deeply about the future of our community,” Battles wrote. “This moment is bigger than any one setback.”
Battles was removed from the Republican primary ballot in mid-February by the Alabama Republican Party. In posts following that decision, he said the party did not provide a reason and maintained he had not violated any bylaws.
In a Feb. 16 Facebook post, Battles said he had been removed from the ballot “without breaking a single bylaw” and described the decision as discouraging. He also emphasized that his campaign had been built without support from political action committees or special interests.
In the days after his removal, Battles said he worked to regain access to the ballot. In a subsequent post, he said his campaign had gathered “well over 3,000 signatures from our district,” sent emails to party leadership, and submitted a certified letter requesting reinstatement.
Battles also criticized the party’s decision-making process, writing that the Steering Committee had “discretionary powers” in determining ballot access.
By April 14, Battles acknowledged his name would not appear on the Republican primary ballot but said his campaign would continue.
“My name may not appear on the May 19th ballot, but make no mistake. I am not going anywhere, and this fight is far from over,” he wrote.
With reinstatement efforts unsuccessful, Battles is now pursuing ballot access as an independent candidate. Under Alabama law, independent candidates must gather signatures equal to 3% of the voters who cast ballots for governor in the last general election within their district—a threshold that typically amounts to several thousand valid signatures for a State Senate race.
Battles said his campaign is organizing petition efforts across the district and noted that signatures must be submitted on official forms.
“Together, we can gather the signatures needed to secure ballot access and move this campaign forward,” he wrote.
If his petition is certified, Battles would appear on the November general election ballot, potentially setting up a three-way contest for the District 10 seat.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
