House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) is optimistic about the state's future with the new class of freshmen joining the House, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is favored to win the governor's race.
In an interview on Birmingham radio's Talk 99.5, Ledbetter reflected on the recent elections, Tuberville's experience and priorities, and education, including his efforts to ensure his appointees to the Charter School Commission reflect his values.
Ledbetter highlighted that incumbent House Republicans went 8 for 11 in contested races, which he called "normal."
"I'm excited. I think we've got good folks coming in; we had a good election, and Alabama is moving in a good direction," he said.
Ledbetter stressed his longtime friendship with Tuberville, saying that he was the co-chair of Tuberville's Senate campaign and that they "talk pretty regularly now," focusing on Tuberville's priorities, including job growth and career readiness.
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"He is ready to take the reins," Ledbetter said of Tuberville, emphasizing how his coaching career would help him recruit businesses to the state.
"Alabama ranks as one of the best places to start a new business in the country," he said, noting where Tuberville has already been "impactful."
"He's already been impactful; by some of the things he has done, be it Space Command or what's happened at Birmingham Southern with the [Coast Guard]," Ledbetter said of Tuberville. "The Frannie Mae, Freddie Mac thing is something he was behind."
"He has done a lot of work already behind the scenes that's going to make Alabama a strong state," he added.
According to Ledbetter, career tech and workforce development are high on both of their radars. When asked if this is something the legislature will work with Governor Tuberville on, he replied, "100%."
"We were missing the boat some," he said of the time before the legislature worked to expand current programs across the state over the last several years.
Speaking to the special congressional elections, Ledbetter said he believes it's not just districts 1 and 2 that are in play; he believes district 7 can be won.
"We've never really had a strong challenge until now," he said of District Seven. He stressed that the party and voters cannot "rest on their laurels"
"Everyone talks about 7-0, and if we work hard enough, we can get there," Ledbetter said.
He reaffirmed his support for State Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) in Congressional District 2 and then addressed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision protecting girls' sports.
"It's one of those things, and Alabama didn't think much about it. I got a call from the [Alabama] High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) the year before we passed the bill, and they said, 'Hey, we may have to do something about this. Texas has done it, and we need to look at it." Ledbetter explained.
He went on to detail the conversation and his surprise.
"'Surely, we're not having any issue in Alabama?" he recalled asking, to which they replied, "Yeah, we already have."
"And so, I was shocked, to be quite honest with you, because that wasn't the way I was raised, not the way I grew up here in the state," Ledbetter recalled. "I think it was the right thing by far," he said of the SCOTUS decision.
He went on to say he was pleased with the way lawmakers handled not just the sports bill but also all the bills protecting women and children, including the sports bill, the "What is a Woman?" Act, and the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection bill.
He then described the catalyst behind the bill he and Speaker Pro-Tem Chris Pringle introduced, which allows lawmakers to recall appointments to the majority of boards and commissions they are responsible for filling.
"People don't understand, a lot of the legislation we do happens in the summertime or during the off-season," Ledbetter began. "It had come to my attention that there was one particular school, it was a charter school, that wasn't really following my ideology."
1819 News reported that during an October 2025 meeting of the state Charter School Commission, which is majority-appointed by Republican leadership, the commission voted to renew the charter for the LGBTQ+ Magic City Acceptance Academy and grant it a 5-year extension. This vote happened with little resistance from current board members despite repeated drag queen visits, radical gender ideology practices, diversity, equity and inclusion statements and other troubling patterns.
Ledbetter explained that those stories and that vote impacted his decision.
"It was a moment that I went to our attorneys, and just told them, 'Hey, I wanna, I wanna make a change,' and they said, 'We really have to go through a lot of hoops to do that, or you have to do an impeachment. You gotta have an impeachable reason for doing it."
"And so after looking at it, we come back, and I think if me or the [Senate] Pro-Tem, or the governor, appoint somebody, which we will appoint, to different committees, depending on what it is, do 100s a year. We should have the ability if they don't live up to what we thought as far as what our ideology is or what the state's is. "
"This is where the bill came out of that one instance," Ledbetter said before explaining how the governor's appointees got added to the bill.
"It's kind of funny, when we were doing it, and I got called coach, and he said, Hey, you mind adding governor to that. And so we did. But then, if we make an appointment, somebody's not doing their job, or not showing up to do their job, we should have the ability to remove, and so that was one of the reasons for that."
Ledbetter went on to add State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) to the board, while Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth added Former teacher and chairwoman for the Alabama Republican Party Terri Lathan.
In closing, Ledbetter discussed his support for the CHOOSE Act, emphasizing his support for parents to have the opportunity to stay in their public school if it fits their needs while also allowing families to pursue an alternative that may be better suited for their children.
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