Battles Secures Place on November Ballot in Senate District 10 Race

Independent candidate Jesse Battles has officially secured a place on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot for Alabama Senate District 10, ending months of uncertainty following his removal from the Republican primary ballot earlier this year.

According to the campaign, the Alabama Secretary of State has certified Battles' candidacy after he successfully met the State's ballot access requirements for independent candidates. The certification follows a petition effort that campaign officials say produced more than 3,000 signatures from registered voters across Etowah, Cherokee and DeKalb Counties.

The announcement marks the latest chapter in a dispute that began in February when the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee removed Battles from the Republican primary ballot. Battles later launched a public campaign to restore his ballot access, arguing that voters — not party insiders — should determine who represents Senate District 10.

In April, Battles announced he would continue his campaign as an independent candidate after efforts to regain his place on the Republican ballot proved unsuccessful.

"Today belongs to the people of this district," Battles said. "Earlier this year, the Establishment tried to take this decision out of your hands by striking my name from the ballot. Over the past several weeks, more than 3,000 of you put it right back where it belongs. That's how this is supposed to work — the people choose their leaders, not the insiders."

The campaign described the signature drive as a grassroots effort built through direct voter contact across Northeast Alabama. Campaign officials said supporters signed petitions at community events, businesses, churches and private residences throughout the district.

Battles also used the announcement to reiterate his Republican credentials despite running outside the party label.

"Make no mistake: Jesse Battles is, and always has been, a Republican," the campaign said in a statement. "The only reason his name will appear outside the Republican column this November is that the Establishment stripped him from the primary ballot and took that choice away from the voters."

The dispute over Battles' candidacy drew statewide attention earlier this year. In February, Battles claimed he had collected more than 3,000 signatures and accused party leaders of lacking transparency in the candidate challenge process. At the time, he wrote that the issue was about "fairness," "transparency," and "the integrity of our process."

With ballot access now secured, Battles said the campaign will shift its focus toward the general election.

"We're hitting the campaign trail harder than ever, and everywhere we go we hear the same thing — more neglect, more disregard from Montgomery for the people who actually live and work in Northeast Alabama," Battles said. "This campaign has been 110% about people from the very first day. On November 3, we intend to hand a victory back to the people who built it."

The campaign said its fall platform will focus on infrastructure projects, support for local businesses and family farms, veterans' issues, law enforcement, and what it describes as greater representation for communities in Northeast Alabama.

Battles, an Attalla resident, is a small business owner and family farmer. He previously rebuilt the College Republicans chapter at Jacksonville State University, worked in the Alabama Secretary of State's Office, served as President of the Gadsden Rotary Club, and has been active in local Republican politics and economic development efforts.

Senate District 10 includes portions of Etowah, Cherokee and DeKalb counties. Republican incumbent Senator Andrew Jones won renomination in the May Republican primary and is expected to face Battles in November.

For more information on Jesse Battles and his campaign, visit https://jessebattles.com.