Democrat Brett Jones defeated incumbent Republican Sheriff Kevin Turner to become Alabama’s first openly gay sheriff.
Turner was a two-term sheriff in Madison County.
According to Advocate, Jones ran on a platform of jail reform and ending the sheriff’s office’s contracts for Flock Safety license plate reader cameras.
Brett Jones, the first openly gay sheriff to be elected in Alabama, campaigned on transparency, jail reform and discontinuing the county’s contract with Flock, the controversial license plate reader system that has sparked widespread concern. https://t.co/ff0UOUx6Z1
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 7, 2026
More from Advocate:
Jones received the endorsement of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which identified him as the first out gay person who would hold the office in Alabama.
A former Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and police officer, Jones emphasized public safety, transparency, and accountability throughout his campaign. His proposals included independent, public reviews of every death in custody, higher training standards for deputies and expanded support for people leaving the county jail, according to the SPLC Action Fund, which also endorsed him.
ADVERTISEMENTJones also opposed the sheriff’s office’s use of Flock cameras, arguing that access to people’s movements raises privacy concerns. He pledged to end the office’s Flock contracts and require warrants for the use of license plate readers he could not remove.
His campaign website says his SEAL team deployed two weeks after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. He later worked with the CIA’s Global Response Staff, providing protection overseas.
Jones defeated Turner by a vote count of 84,068 to 74,639, Alabama Political Reporter noted.
The 2026 election also produced Alabama’s first ‘transgender‘ state lawmaker.
“Alabama made history on Tuesday,” Alabama Equality Chairwoman Patricia Todd said, according to Alabama Political Reporter.
“The victories of Brett Jones and Allison Montgomery demonstrate that voters are increasingly focused on who can best serve their communities, not on who they love or how they identify," Todd continued.
This is Huntsville, AL, people. Home to Marshall Space Center, Redstone Arsenal, The Hudson Institute, Boeing...and Brett Jones, Alabama's first openly gay sheriff
Put that in your holster....https://t.co/KaFykiqScq via @alreporter
— John Anzalone (@JohnAnzo) November 5, 2026
Alabama Political Reporter shared further:
Montgomery, a software engineer and advocate for transgender rights, won her seat 20 years after Todd became Alabama’s first openly gay elected official. Todd won Birmingham’s House District 54 in 2006.
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