Stadthagen Makes Case to Lead Alabama GOP, Bridge Party and Legislature

This week on my podcast, Angela’s Sweet Tea and Politics on Spotify, I had the opportunity to sit down with Alabama State Representative Scott Stadthagen, who is currently running for chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. With the vote by the State Republican Executive Committee happening this weekend, it was a timely conversation about the future of the party, the direction of conservative leadership in Alabama, and what it will take to unify Republicans across the state.

One of the things that stood out to me during our discussion was Stadthagen’s focus on service rather than titles. At 48 years old, he says this moment in his life is about making the biggest difference he can for the state he loves.

During our conversation, he explained that his goal is simple: to make the greatest possible impact before eventually passing leadership on to the next generation. 

Stadthagen brings an interesting background to the race. He’s a businessman, a state legislator, and a former college football quarterback — and that team mentality clearly shapes how he views leadership.

The biggest issue he talked about during the interview was what he sees as a disconnect between the Alabama Republican Party and the Republican lawmakers serving in Montgomery. When he first entered the legislature, he said he was surprised by how separate the two seemed to be.

As he told me during the podcast, there’s currently “a huge disconnect between the party and the legislature.” 

For Stadthagen, fixing that problem is one of the main reasons he’s running for chairman. He believes the party and Republican lawmakers should be working as one unified team to move conservative policies forward.

One of his ideas is something he described as “Republican Days” in Montgomery, where party leadership would meet with legislative leaders and the governor to discuss and advance policy priorities important to Republican voters throughout Alabama. 

Another major theme that came up during our conversation was transparency and communication inside the party.

Stadthagen said he believes party members deserve clear information about decisions and issues facing the organization. In particular, he emphasized that the State Republican Executive Committee should play a central role in guiding the direction of the party, with members fully informed so they can communicate clearly with voters and activists. 

We also talked about the importance of local leadership. Stadthagen made it very clear that county Republican organizations are the backbone of the state party. He believes county chairs should have a strong voice in shaping the party’s priorities and strategy moving forward. 

Communication and messaging were also big parts of the discussion. Stadthagen pointed to his experience as House Majority Leader, where he helped dramatically expand the House Republican Caucus’ social media presence — growing its following from about 1,200 people to more than 25,000 in just three years. 

Listening to him talk, it’s clear that his football background still influences how he approaches leadership. He talks a lot about teamwork, building trust, and making sure everyone is moving in the same direction.

With the vote for chairman happening this weekend, members of the Alabama Republican Party will soon decide who will lead the organization into the next chapter.

But one thing from our conversation was clear: Scott Stadthagen believes the path forward starts with unity, transparency, and bridging the gap between the Alabama Republican Party and the state legislature — all while keeping the conservative values that define Alabama at the center of the mission.