Alabama House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) announced Tuesday that he was seeking the office of speaker.

Ledbetter informed his fellow Republican House members, in a letter obtained by Yellowhammer News, that he was launching a campaign.

“I have decided to become a candidate for Speaker of the House once Speaker McCutcheon has finished his current term and the office is vacant,” he wrote. “I felt it important that you learn about my candidacy directly from me rather than reading about it in press releases and secondhand media reports.”

He went on to outline how he would approach the responsibilities of the office.

“Serving as speaker is a full-time position that places countless demands on the individual who holds it,” he said. “Even when we are not in session, the speaker is required to be in Montgomery several days each week to participate in meetings, hold policy and planning discussions, oversee the day-to-day staff operations of the body, and work to ensure that all of your needs as a legislator are being anticipated and fully met.

Ledbetter continued, “Because I am both retired and still relatively young, I have the time, energy, and resources necessary to devote 100% of my attention to the job. I am also committed to making the tough decisions, leading the Chamber with authority, and ensuring that the will of the majority is being carried out during floor debates, deliberations, filibusters, and votes.”

First elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, Ledbetter assumed the role of majority leader for the chamber in 2017.

In a closing statement to his colleagues, he pointed toward the potential for future success under new leadership in the speaker’s chair.

“In the decade since Republicans captured control of the Legislature, we have fundamentally changed Alabama for the better, but I remain convinced that our greatest accomplishments, our brightest days, and our biggest successes still lie ahead if the right individual carries the gavel,” he concluded.

Ledbetter is the second announced candidate for the office. Earlier on Tuesday, State Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa) stated that he was running.

Current Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon announced on Monday that he was not seeking reelection to the office. The new speaker’s term will formally begin in January 2023.

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia