Former U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks drew heavy criticism from Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) on Tuesday over his decision to jump into the race for Alabama House District 20 against incumbent State Rep. James Lomax (R-Huntsville).
During a Business Council of Alabama event, Ledbetter voiced strong support for Lomax while roasting Brooks for a "failed" political career.
“You’ve got somebody like a James Lomax that is an outstanding young man, who is super, super smart and is a future leader of this state, without question,” Ledbetter said, according to Alabama Daily News. “Then you got somebody like Mo Brooks running against him who has failed in every office he’s been in.”
Ledbetter said his opinion of Brooks wasn’t based “on politics,” but was “about running this state in a manner where we can succeed.”
“We pay our bills, we’ve got money, and he owed $30 trillion when he left office… So I don’t think we should trade the old for the new,” the speaker said before reiterating, “Mo Brooks has been in office 40 years and failed at every office he has been in.”
Brooks pushed back against Ledbetter’s criticism, saying that he’s never lost reelection, pointing to his career in the state house and as a U.S. congressman, district attorney and Madison County Commissioner.
“The voters have reelected me to offices in which I was first elected consistently by overwhelming numbers, on average in excess of 70%,” Brooks told ADN. “So the speaker, living far from Huntsville, is apparently revealing he knows not very much about it.”
According to a report by AL(dot)com, Brooks added, “What Nathaniel Ledbetter is really doing is badly insulting the voters of House District 20 with his ill-informed comments.”
Brooks said all the concern about him joining the race proves he’s a real threat to the incumbent.
“I ask anyone with a brain larger than the size of a pea to ponder this question: If I am so ineffectual at representing Joe and Jane Citizen, then why do I scare the crap out of Speaker Ledbetter? Why out of all of the races in the state of Alabama does he focus his fire on Mo Brooks?” he told ADN. “Speaker Ledbetter needs to know that I’m not a pushover, that I’ve gone toe-to-toe with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and he couldn’t hold her pantyhose.”
Ledbetter responded by claiming Brooks betrayed President Donald Trump, a point Lomax also made in a three-page press release decrying Brooks.
“Considering that Mo is a regular on CNN and completely sold out President Trump, it makes sense that he holds Nancy Pelosi in such high regard,” Ledbetter said. “They have a lot in common.”
Ledbetter's comments come shortly after Brooks questioned the use of proxy voting in the State House of Representatives, calling the practice "voter fraud." Ledbetter's office denied the fraud claim and said proxy voting is done in accordance with House rules.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email [email protected] or find him on X and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
