Former Navy SEAL Brett Jones Makes History as Alabama’s First Openly Gay Sheriff
Former Navy SEAL Brett Jones makes LGBTQ+ history after winning Alabama's Madison County sheriff election, promising police and jail reforms
A former US Navy SEAL who once faced losing his military career after being outed has made history by becoming Alabama’s first openly gay sheriff-elect.
Brett Jones defeated two-term Republican incumbent Kevin Turner in Madison County’s November 3 election, securing 52.93% of the vote against Turner’s 46.99%, based on unofficial results.
The victory marks an extraordinary new chapter for Jones, whose military experiences have already helped bring greater awareness to the difficulties faced by LGBTQ+ service personnel.
Jones served in the US Navy for almost a decade, including deployments with elite SEAL units, before receiving an honourable discharge in 2003. His experiences were later documented in his 2014 memoir, Pride: The Story of the First Openly Gay Navy SEAL.
He subsequently spent 13 years working with the CIA’s Global Response Staff and is currently a training coordinator with the University of Alabama in Huntsville police department.
What will Brett Jones do as sheriff?
Jones has promised greater transparency, improvements to the county jail and stronger accountability within the sheriff’s office.
One of his most significant proposals involves ending the county’s use of Flock automated number plate recognition cameras over privacy concerns.
The technology allows police to identify vehicles by comparing captured registration plates against databases. Jones has indicated he will review existing contracts and does not intend to renew them.
Speaking after his election, Jones made clear that his sexuality would not define his approach to policing.
“Being gay has absolutely nothing to do with how I’m going to do my job,” he said.
Jones is due to be sworn in during January 2027, becoming the first openly gay person to hold the office of sheriff in Alabama.
His election is an important milestone for LGBTQ+ visibility in American policing and the armed forces, two professions with long histories of discrimination against gay personnel.
