Greg Barnes Easily Wins House District 13 Special Primary

Walker County will have a new representative in the Alabama Legislature when it convenes its 2026 Regular Session in January.

Retired general contractor Greg Barnes won Tuesday’s House District 13 Special GOP primary election. The 67-year-old took 69% of the vote, easily defeating 52-year-old pharmacist and business owner Dustin Beaty, a fellow Republican. No Democrats qualified to run for the seat, Barnes' victory wins him the office.

The special election was called by Gov. Ivey when the seat became vacant after former Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) was elected to the State Senate in a June special election. Woods had served in District 13 from 2022 to 2025 before moving to the upper chamber.

Barnes had based his campaign on three main issues: mental health, veterans' support, and parental rights in education.

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According to unofficial results provided by Walker County Probate Judge A. Lee Tucker to the office of Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Barnes garnered 69.19% of the 3,635 votes cast to Beaty's 1,113 votes, or 30.81% of the ballots cast in the race.

The probate judge's office reports that 10.09% of the 36,020 registered voters in Walker County went to the polls yesterday.

Barnes, who largely self-funded his campaign with a $20,000 loan, according to campaign financial records, reacted to his victory in a Facebook post, “I have always known the people in this community were special, but this campaign season has allowed me to truly see how special,” Barnes wrote after he was declared the winner. “Now that this election is over, I look forward to working for you in the Alabama Legislature!”

Beaty outspent Barnes, using most of the $130,000 he raised, according to campaign finance records.

Alabama Republican Party Chief of Staff Shannon Whitt congratulated Barnes in a press release, "Walker County voters sent a clear message today: they are ready for strong conservative leadership that reflects their values."

The 2026 Alabama Legislative Session begins in Montgomery on January 13. But Barnes will not have long to adapt to his new role. Campaigning is already underway for the regular four-year term in the 2026 election cycle, and Barnes already has one opponent.

Mike Elliott campaigned in the special election and received the coveted endorsement of the Alabama Farmers Federation. However, he was removed from the ballot when the Alabama Ethics Commission ruled that he failed to turn in the required statement of economic interest on time. In a Sept. 12 social media post, Elliott wrote he will be a candidate in the May 19 primary.

The GOP Primaries are set for May 19, 2026, and the General Election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Barnes will not face a special general election challenge in November because no Democrat qualified to run in the heavily Republican district.