Barnes Wins in HD 13 Special Primary
Defeated Dustin Beaty in special primary. No Democrat qualified to oppose him in the special general election
Republican voters in Walker County chose Greg Barnes Tuesday as their nominee in the Alabama House District 13 special primary election.
According to preliminary results released by the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP), Barnes won with 2,500 votes (69.19 %), while Dustin Beaty collected 1,113 votes (30.81 %). With no Democrat contesting the seat in November, Barnes is all but assured election, pending official certification of the vote tallies.
The ALGOP Chief of Staff, Shannon Whitt congratulated Barnes in a statement, saying:
“We are excited to congratulate Greg Barnes on winning the Republican nomination for House District 13. Walker County voters sent a clear message today: they are ready for strong conservative leadership that reflects their values. With no Democrat opposition in November, Greg is on the path to becoming our newest State Representative, and we look forward to working alongside them to keep Alabama moving forward.”
Beaty, a pharmacist and business owner, raised a far larger campaign war chest—over $130,000, compared to Barnes’ self-funded $20,000—but was unable to close the gap.
Barnes, a retired general contractor, campaigned on conservative values including smaller government and lower taxes, as well as support for Veterans and the military.
The HD 13 seat opened when Matt Woods left to join the Alabama Senate, following a special election in June for Senate District 5. The GOP primary win today sets Barnes on course to assume that House seat. A special general election for HD 13 would take place on January 13, 2026, if required.
In the earlier special election for Senate District 5, Woods defeated Democrat Ryan Cagle by 86% to 13.1%, according to unofficial returns.
The Senate seat had been held by Greg Reed, who resigned to become a senior advisor for workforce transformation in Governor Kay Ivey’s administration. Reed was Senate President Pro Tempore before his departure.
Barnes’ victory in the HD 13 special primary effectively ends the cascade of “musical jobs” triggered by Greg Reed’s Senate resignation. With no Democrat opposing Barnes, the people of his district will soon have full representation in the Legislature once again.
