Who will be the next Alabama House Speaker? GOP reps are mum so far

There’s little doubt that the Alabama House of Representatives will stay in Republican hands in November. But there are plenty of questions about who will lead it.

With current House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, leaving after November, the race for leadership of the chamber is underway. Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, the longtime chair of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, and House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, have emerged as the two likeliest candidates, though others could come forward.

The election will be part of a significant change in leadership in the chamber that will also include a new speaker pro tem and a new chair of the House Rules Committee, which decides what bills go to the floor for a vote.

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Not surprisingly, House Republicans interviewed this week were reluctant to say which way they were leaning. Rep. Chris Blacksher, R-Phenix City, said it was a “tricky situation.”

“For me, it’s much bigger than a speaker’s race,” he said. “We’re guaranteed a new speaker, a new majority leader, a new rules chair.”

While the official speaker vote will take place at an organizational session ahead of next March’s regular session of the Legislature, the decisive ballot will occur at the first House Republican caucus meeting after the Nov. 8 election, when Republicans select their nominee. Democrats have not put up enough candidates to win a majority in the House.

Clouse, a member of the Alabama House since 1993, is stressing his experience on the critical budget committee and with the legislative process in making his case to his colleagues.

“I’ve served seven terms in the House, 28 years,” he said Thursday. “I was here when the Republicans were in a minority, so I know what it’s like on the minority side, and I know what it is to be on the majority side. I’ve served with five different governors and four different speakers. I’ve got experience. I think I know how to thread the needle on some speakership style.”

Ledbetter wants to emphasize his work with individual members in their districts.

“I think over the past seven years since we took the majority leader’s role, we’ve tried to make sure each member is successful in their district,” he said. “I think we’ve been successful for the most part, successful in finding funding for campaigns, and in the platforms we’ve put together.”

Both Clouse and Ledbetter are running unopposed in their districts in November.

With Alabama’s Constitution making the governor weak and giving the Legislature most of the government's effective power, the speaker of the House is one of the two most powerful positions in Alabama's government. The speaker assigns members to committees and plays a major role in controlling the flow of legislation on the floor.

It’s powerful enough that Republican members are keeping their preferences close. Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, said it was “too early” to make a commitment.

“There’s a lot of time left,” he said. “I’m sure they’re going to be interviewing for the position.”

Rep. Kyle South, R-Fayette, said they were looking for “consistent leadership.”

“In a lot of cases, just making sure the process runs smoothly,” he said. “Just those kinds of things.”

McCutcheon, then-House Rules chair, won the job in 2016 from a caucus that was looking for a break from the style of former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn. Hubbard had a strong grip on his caucus and legislation before his conviction on felony ethics charges in 2016. McCutcheon pursued consensus within the House GOP more than Hubbard did, though he supported controversial legislation on abortion, history education and transgender health care.

Republicans praised McCutcheon’s leadership and did not say they were looking for a change as they had in 2016. But some Republicans said they were looking for more organization. Under McCutcheon’s leadership, the chamber often gaveled in 15 or 20 minutes after its scheduled start times.

“I think the members are looking for a chamber that begins on time when we go into session,” said Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, who is running for Speaker Pro Tem. “That we have a plan and we’re going to vote on that day. Just direction.”

Rep. Kenneth Paschal, R-Pelham, said he wanted to have someone who could advocate “Alabama values” and work outside the House Republican caucus.

“You’ve got to have someone in that leadership position who can work with the upper chamber and make sure we can get legislation moved,” he said. “Who has the ability not only to prioritize our agenda but also have good working relationships with our Democratic colleagues and our colleagues in the Senate.”

Ledbetter said he saw himself as in-between Hubbard and McCutcheon’s styles.

“I think Mac has done a tremendous job,” he said. “When he came in, his demeanor was what the House needed. My leadership will be different than his. We’ll probably be in-between Hubbard and McCutcheon. The middle of the two is not a bad place to be.”

Clouse said he would try to keep the chamber running smoothly.

“I think the speaker is more of an organizer, an administrator,” he said. “Being in the Legislature is a part-time full-time job, but being speaker is a full-time job.”

Both men said they would try to deal with minority Democrats fairly, though Democrats have been highly critical of Republicans’ use of cloture to end debates, cloture petitions that have often been filed by Ledbetter.

Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, said she was looking for “strong leadership.”

“I support both of them and I look forward to discussing it after the election,” she said. “I like strong leadership and including everyone in decisions.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brian Lyman at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Who will be the next Alabama House Speaker? GOP reps are mum so far