Jesse Battles, a former Republican candidate for Senate District 10, asked the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) Steering Committee to restore his ballot access in the upcoming May primary.
The Senate District 10 seat is currently held by State Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre). Amy Dozier Minton has also qualified as a primary candidate for the seat. The primary is on May 19.
Battles said in a letter to the committee sent on Thursday, “Within 72 hours of the decision to remove me from the ballot, well over 2,000 Republican voters in SD-10 signed their names to a petition and emailed ALGOP leadership directly requesting that you restore my ballot access – and that number continues to grow rapidly. The people in my community know that what I told the committee was true. Eight years ago, I made a mistake by getting paid to pass out signs for (Craig Ford) my former football coach, the father of one of my closest friends, when he ran as an Independent. But I have always been, and remain, a loyal Republican.”
“Over the last decade, I have grown one of the largest College Republican chapters in our state; volunteered for President Trump in every election he has run in; engaged directly with thousands of voters on behalf of Republican candidates; helped Secretary of State John Merrill enforce the toughest Voter ID law in the nation; and actively volunteered in my county Party."
"After the overwhelming backlash to your decision and the outpouring of support from Republicans across the district, some might have chosen to run as an Independent or mount a write-in campaign. I chose instead to fight to keep my supporters united within our Party. That is what loyal Republicans do,” Battles said.
“At my hearing, not a single member of the committee could say that I was in violation of the six-year 'bona fide' period set out in the bylaws. In fact, even the challenge itself acknowledges that I did not violate this rule. The decision to remove me from the ballot was a subjective ruling based on false statements, misinformation, and preconceived notions about my political beliefs. Silencing thousands of Republican voters who know me and what I stand for does not protect the Party. It weakens it. It also sends the following message to every young Republican across Alabama who wants to dedicate their time and energy to fighting for our Party: 'We don’t want you here.' For these reasons, I am formally requesting that the Steering Committee reconvene, restore my ballot access, and allow the voters of SD-10 to vote for me, a loyal Republican who has given so much to our Party.”
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