Dr. Angelo Mancuso says this year’s state House race in North Alabama was not supposed to unfold the way it did.
When he first entered the Republican primary for Alabama’s House District 7, Mancuso, a physician and former state representative, expected a traditional campaign built around policy differences and voter outreach.
Instead, a ballot challenge derailed his candidacy in the GOP primary, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led him to relaunch his campaign as an independent.
Now, months later, Mancuso is crisscrossing Lawrence County and the broader district, gathering signatures, recruiting volunteers and making his case directly to voters in free-flowing conversations about policy, personal history and pointed criticism of party leadership.
Mancuso maintains that his removal from the Republican primary ballot was politically motivated. He describes the challenge as orchestrated and argues it deprived voters of a choice.
“People started calling me. They were saying, ‘Our choice was taken away,’” said Mancuso.
Rather than withdraw from the race, Mancuso decided he would run as an independent candidate in the general election.
He frames the decision less as a break with Republican voters and more as a response to what he sees as increasing consolidation of power within party structures. Mancuso describes the independent label as a vehicle to restore what he calls “freedom and liberty and choices.”
Mancuso also weighed in on House Bill 541, introduced by Representative Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, which would have closed primaries and limited participation in party primaries to voters formally affiliated with that party. Supporters said the bill was intended to ensure that committed party members select a party’s nominees. Mancuso said he viewed the proposal through the lens of voter access.
“When you start limiting who can run and who can vote, you’re taking choices away from people,” said Mancuso.
To qualify for the ballot, independent candidates must gather the required number of signatures from registered voters. Mancuso says his campaign has already met that threshold and plans to exceed it.
“When I ask people to sign, I tell them, you don’t have to vote for me. This is about having a choice,” said Mancuso.
For a candidate who works daily as a surgeon, the campaign trail has offered a different pace.
“It’s really kind of nice to meet people that just want to tell me what they think,” he said. “It’s refreshing.”
Unlike his earlier campaigns, which he described as largely self-run efforts, Mancuso says this race has grown into a broader grassroots operation. Volunteers are managing social media, canvassing neighborhoods and organizing events. He says supporters include Republicans, Democrats and independents.
He repeatedly returns to the idea of coalition-building, arguing that Lawrence County and the surrounding areas have been “fragmented” and underrepresented. Economic growth radiating from Huntsville is moving westward and he wants local leaders and residents to shape how that development unfolds.
“If we don’t step up, they’re going to come in and take control,” said Mancuso.
Mancuso also outlines a platform centered on education, infrastructure and what he calls civic renewal.
He advocates for expanded arts, music and foreign language instruction in elementary schools and greater investment in local infrastructure to prepare for population growth. He also argues that civics education has eroded and should be strengthened to instill pride and participation in government.
“People should be proud to be Americans, proud to be Alabamians. History isn’t always kind. But you learn from it,” said Mancuso.
Mancuso acknowledges that running as an independent in a deeply Republican district presents steep odds. He believes dissatisfaction with party gatekeeping and local concerns about development could reshape the dynamics. For now, he appears energized by the unexpected turn of events.
“This is not something I anticipated, but for this moment in time, it’s a wonderful moment,” said Mancuso.
As the campaign heads toward the general election, Mancuso says he will continue gathering signatures, expanding his volunteer base and pressing his case that the race is about representation and restoring a voter’s right to choose.
