Jesse Battles, an Etowah County native and local business owner, announced his candidacy for State Senate District 10 on Wednesday, pledging to be an “unapologetic champion for Alabama values and a relentless advocate for the working families and businesses of Northeast Alabama.”
Battles enters the race with a clear message: “The assault on our community by radical liberals and out-of-touch Montgomery politicians ends now,” according to a campaign press release.
“For too long, our values and faith in God have been under attack. I stand with the people of Northeast Alabama in defending truth and common sense. Men are men, women are women, and biological males have no place in women’s sports," Battles said. "Our children must be protected from explicit content in our schools and libraries, and radical ideologies like Critical Race Theory have no place in our institutions. I’ll always support President Trump and his fight to defend life and empower parents, and I’ll stand strong for our values in Montgomery.”
Battles was born and raised in Etowah County. His family has lived there for seven generations. While earning his degree from Jacksonville State University, he founded and grew one of the largest College Republican chapters in Alabama.
Later, working for Alabama’s Secretary of State, Battles helped enforce America’s toughest voter ID law and streamline government operations to save taxpayers millions, according to a campaign press release.
As a small business owner and family farmer in Attalla, Battles understands the challenges facing the local economy, fueled by Biden's disastrous economic policies. He also criticized incumbent State Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) for what Battles said was a betrayal of local interests.
Jones announced his re-election campaign in May after the conclusion of the 2025 session.
"While our community works to recover from Biden’s economy, Andrew Jones is busy sponsoring legislation that specifically targets one of our local businesses," Battles stated. "This isn't just bad policy; it's a direct threat to jobs, families, and the future of Northeast Alabama. We need a Senator who fights for our local businesses, not one who tries to crush them from Montgomery."
Jones sponsored local legislation in the 2025 session regulating off-road vehicle parks in Cherokee County. The bill failed to become law after passing the Senate but not the House. Jones previously said the legislation was needed to “help the Spring Garden/ Rock Run Community.”
According to a campaign press release, on top of working to grow the local economy, Battles is also committed to investing in critical infrastructure, improving education by putting students first, backing veterans and law enforcement who have been "taken for granted and undermined," protecting our farmers from an unfair, global trade market and Chinese land acquisition, and staunchly defending the Second Amendment.
"Our current State Senator has failed us," Battles said. "Andrew Jones was personally responsible for silencing Veterans all across the State of Alabama and even tried to strong-arm Etowah County community leaders into supporting legislation that would have defunded critical services in our cities — like the police and other first responders. If there’s anything that people need to know about this race, it’s that Andrew Jones’s policies are dangerous for our community. I don’t believe he’s a bad person, but his desire for political power in Montgomery puts us all in danger. The people of Northeast Alabama deserve a Senator who is one of them, who shares their values, and who will never back down from a fight. I am that candidate, and I am ready to serve."
Jones sponsored controversial legislation restructuring the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs that became law during the 2025 session. He also sponsored legislation capping occupational taxes at 1% in the 2023 session. That bill did not become law. Occupational taxes are local taxes individual workers and employees pay, via paycheck withholding, to operate within some municipalities in Alabama. The cities of Gadsden, Glencoe, Attalla, Rainbow City and Southside — all a part of District 10 — levy a 2% occupational tax — the highest in the state, according to Alabama Daily News. Jones has called the occupational tax “fundamentally unfair and regressive.”
Battles lives in Attalla with his wife, Melissa. He is the President of the Gadsden Rotary Club, an active member of the Etowah County Republican Party, and a member of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority Board.
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