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Nathaniel Ledbetter
2014 - Present
2026
10
Nathaniel Ledbetter (Republican Party) is a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing District 24. He assumed office on November 5, 2014. His current term ends on November 4, 2026.
Ledbetter was elected Alabama Speaker of the House on January 10, 2023.[1]
Ledbetter entered politics at age 23 when he was elected to the Rainsville City Council. He was later elected unopposed as Rainsville mayor, a position he held until 2002.[2] Ledbetter also formerly owned the Mountain Valley News newspaper and worked for the Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative for more than 30 years until his retirement.[2][3]
Ledbetter was a Democratic candidate for District 24 of the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and lost 53%-47% to Todd Greeson (R) in the general election. In 2014, Ledbetter ran for District 24 again—this time as a Republican—and won 61%-39%. He said, "During my time serving the city, Rainsville witnessed hundreds of new jobs created through plants like Emerson Electric and RTI, which is a major Honda supplier. I plan to take the same conservative principles and pro-business approaches that recruited those jobs, to the Alabama State House and help get our state’s economy booming again."[4]
In 2017, the Republican Caucus selected Ledbetter to serve as majority leader after former leader Micky Hammon (R) stepped down. Ledbetter was the first freshman to hold the position.[5] When the caucus re-elected him majority leader in 2018, Ledbetter said, "Republicans added to our already impressive supermajority in the general election cycle, and I will work to ensure that the bills, measures, and resolutions passed by the House reflect the same conservative beliefs and traditional values that Alabama’s voters share."[6]
When he was elected speaker in 2023, Ledbetter addressed his legislative priorities, saying, "We’ve got to continue to work on education. .... The second thing is, we’ve got to do something with this fentanyl. It’s killing people across our state. We’ve got to start working to get a law passed that’s going to make it very tough on people that’s driving that.”[3]
Following the first two weeks of the 2024 legislative session, columnist Steve Flowers wrote, "Ledbetter has also won the support and trust of the House Democrats. I have not seen this kind of bipartisan cooperation and harmony in the lower chamber in a long time, if ever."[7] Ledbetter said his priorities in that session were transportation, child care, health care, and education.[8]
In a speech before the 2025 legislative session, Ledbetter said, "If you look at what we've done as a state over the past few years, Alabama has been blessed."[9] He said recent accomplishments included the creation of more than 80,000 jobs and increased spending on mental health.[9] Ledbetter's priorities for the 2025 legislative session included addressing violent crime and immigration.[10]
Biography
Ledbetter's professional experience includes working for the Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative. He served as mayor and as a member of the city council of Rainsville, Alabama.[11]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Ledbetter was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Ledbetter was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Ledbetter was assigned to the following committees:
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Ledbetter served on the following committees:
| Alabama committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Children and Senior Advocacy |
| • Commerce and Small Business |
| • Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Alabama House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Alabama House of Representatives District 24
Incumbent Nathaniel Ledbetter won election in the general election for Alabama House of Representatives District 24 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Nathaniel Ledbetter (R) | 99.2 | 11,285 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 87 | ||
| Total votes: 11,372 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama House of Representatives District 24
Incumbent Nathaniel Ledbetter defeated Don Stout in the Republican primary for Alabama House of Representatives District 24 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Nathaniel Ledbetter | 68.3 | 6,231 |
| Don Stout | 31.7 | 2,894 | ||
| Total votes: 9,125 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Alabama House of Representatives District 24
Incumbent Nathaniel Ledbetter won election in the general election for Alabama House of Representatives District 24 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Nathaniel Ledbetter (R) | 98.9 | 12,394 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 134 | ||
| Total votes: 12,528 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama House of Representatives District 24
Incumbent Nathaniel Ledbetter advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama House of Representatives District 24 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Nathaniel Ledbetter |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2014
Elections for the Alabama House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014; a runoff election took place where necessary on July 15, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014. David Beddingfield was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Nathaniel Ledbetter defeated Billy Hodges in the Republican primary. Ledbetter defeated Beddingfield in the general election.[12][13][14][15][16]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Nathaniel Ledbetter |
61.2% | 6,877 | |
| Democratic | David Beddingfield | 38.6% | 4,338 | |
| NA | Write-In | 0.2% | 19 | |
| Total Votes | 11,234 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Nathaniel Ledbetter |
61.3% | 2,543 |
| Billy Hodges | 38.7% | 1,608 |
| Total Votes | 4,151 | |
Endorsements
In 2014, Ledbetter's endorsements included the following:[17]
2010
The primary election was on June 1, 2010, and the general election was on November 2, 2010. Ledbetter was defeated in the November 2 general election by Todd Greeson (R).[18][19]
| Alabama House of Representatives, District 24 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Todd Greeson (R)
|
7,967 | |||
| Nathaniel Ledbetter (D) | 6,971 | |||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Nathaniel Ledbetter did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2014
Ledbetter's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[11]
- Education
- Excerpt: "As a steering board member of the DeKalb County Technical School, Nathaniel is promoting the expansion of the current curriculum to help enable our kids to have a greater opportunity for successful careers."
- Family Farms
- Excerpt: "Nathaniel grew up working on local farms, hauling hay and working on a poultry farm. Agriculture is a trademark of the South, and is a part of our heritage. He knows how hard farmers work, and wants to ensure the financial well-being of these family-owned small businesses for generations to come."
- Jobs
- Excerpt: "During Nathaniel’s tenure as mayor, Rainsville witnessed hundreds of new jobs created through plants like Emerson Electric and RTI, a major Honda supplier. If elected, he plans to use the same conservative principles and pro-business approaches that recruited those jobs to help get our state’s economy booming again."
2010
Ledbetter's website listed the following issues:[20]
- Economic Development
- Excerpt: "We all want the best for our children. That is one of the primary reasons I have placed such a high priority on economic development throughout my career in government."
- Education
- Excerpt: "There is no one who is more concerned with educating our children than I am. With a wife, two sons, and a daughter-in-law who all work in education, I hear the concerns of our educators, and I know the challenges they face."
- Agriculture
- Excerpt: "Agribusiness is the leading industry in Alabama, and District 24 is one of the top ag producing regions in the state. I am passionate about supporting the work of our farming families. "
- Fire and Rescue Departments
- Excerpt: "Fire and Rescue Departments are the backbone of the communities in District 24, and I am committed to supporting the work they do to protect our families and properties. They need our help, especially in this difficult economy."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Alabama scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 6 to May 9.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from March 7 to June 6.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from January 11 to April 7.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 2 to May 17.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 4 to May 18.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from March 5 through May 31.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from January 9 to March 29.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 7 through May 19.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 2 through May 4. The Legislature held a special session from August 15 to September 7.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from March 3 through June 4.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Alabama House of Representatives District 24 |
Officeholder Alabama House of Representatives District 24 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Associated Press, "Ledbetter elected as new Alabama House Speaker," January 10, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jackson County Sentinel, "NACC graduation set for May 16," May 7, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 AL.com, "Alabama House Republicans pick Nathaniel Ledbetter as next speaker," November 10, 2022
- ↑ AL.com, "Former Rainsville Mayor Nathaniel Ledbetter announces Republican candidacy in House District 24," September 4, 2013
- ↑ AL.com, "Alabama House GOP chooses Ledbetter as new majority leader," March 2, 2017
- ↑ Yellowhammer News, "Alabama House GOP re-elects Nathaniel Ledbetter as majority leader, elects Rowe vice chair, Pettus secretary and treasurer," November 13, 2018
- ↑ USA Today, "House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter shows leadership skills," April 24, 2024
- ↑ Alabama Reflector, "House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter’s 2024 priorities: child care, transportation, education," January 10, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wetumpka Herald, "‘We should be proud of our state’ Ledbetter reflects on statewide milestones with big plans to come," February 5, 2025
- ↑ Yellowhammer News, "Taking on crime and immigration, supporting veterans, tax relief, and more on Speaker Ledbetter’s 2025 legislative agenda," February 3, 2025
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Nathaniel Ledbetter, "Home page," accessed May 8, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Democrats, "Qualified candidates for public office list," accessed February 27, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Republican Party, "State Senate," accessed February 27, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Democratic Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Republican Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ waaytv.com, "Election Results," accessed November 6, 2014
- ↑ Nathaniel Ledbetter, "Family Farms," accessed May 8, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed July 8, 2015
- ↑ List of Democratic candidates certified for the June 1, 2010, primary in Alabama
- ↑ Nathaniel Ledbetter, "Issues," accessed October 28, 2010
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Alabama House of Representatives District 24 2014-Present |
Succeeded by - |
