House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) and House Majority Leader Paul Lee (R-Dothan) have jointly endorsed State Rep. Greg Barnes (R-Jasper) in the upcoming May 19 Republican primary for House District 13.
Barnes, a retired contractor, won the District 13 seat in a September 2025 special election with nearly 70% of the vote after the seat was vacated when former State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) was elected to the State Senate.
The May 19 primary will pit Barnes against Walker County educator and businessman Mike Elliott, making it Barnes’ first contested election for a full four-year term in the heavily GOP district.
In a joint statement, Ledbetter and Lee praised Barnes’ fast start in his first session.
“Fresh off a special election win, Greg Barnes has wasted no time making an impact in the Alabama House of Representatives,” Ledbetter and Lee said.
“Recently he carried a bill that makes disrupting church services a felony, which is both timely and needed after what occurred in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Greg is a principled conservative who has already demonstrated an ability to be effective for his constituents.”
Barnes’ church disruption bill, HB363, passed the House 75-27 earlier this session and now awaits action in the Senate.
The May 19 primary will be Barnes’ first contested election for a full four-year term representing the Walker County district.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at sawyer@yellowhammernews.com.
