From: The Bradley Earl Ekdahl Campaign
Autauga, Elmore, and Chilton County, AL
Bradley Earl Ekdahl has announced his candidacy for Circuit Judge Place 5 for the 19th Judicial Circuit. The Republican Primary will be held on May 19, 2026.
Ekdahl has spent the past 20 years working in the legal field. He began as an intern with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in the Violent Crimes Division before serving in the Governor’s Office Finance Legal Division. After earning his juris doctorate and passing the Alabama State Bar, he joined the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office as a Senior Assistant District Attorney for four years. There, he served as an on-call autopsy attorney, prosecuted misdemeanor and felony jury trials, primarily handled child sexual abuse cases, and advised two separate drug task and SWAT task forces in Autauga and Elmore counties.
For the past 11 years, he has served as Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Prattville, trying and convicting several high-profile cases, including one that led to the passage of the Alabama Bodily Fluids law. In December 2022, he was appointed Municipal Judge of Millbrook, Alabama, where he established a Pre-Trial Diversion program for first-time offenders and implemented a driver’s license program to help defendants obtain or reinstate licenses, aiding both citizens and law enforcement resources.
Ekdahl also serves as a specially appointed Judge of Probate for Autauga County, assisting Judge Kervin in times of conflict or recusal. He recently completed a one-year term as chairman of the Alabama Lawyers Assistance Program (ALAP), which supports lawyers in crisis, and continues volunteering with the organization. Additionally, he owns and operates The Law Offices of Bradley Earl Ekdahl, LLC, established in 2011.
Place 5 is an at-large, general jurisdiction circuit judgeship serving Autauga, Chilton, and Elmore counties. The position handles civil controversies exceeding $20,000, domestic relations matters, felonies and capital felonies, equity issues, and appeals from municipal and district courts. The seat was created through the passage of Senate Bill 39 on May 23, 2023, which added judgeships for Places 4 and 5; Place 4 was filled in a prior election.
Ekdahl said, “The law has to be followed without regard to biases, relationships, or outside influence. To follow the law, one has to know the law and have the experience, conviction, and strength necessary to implement it. Principles are to be placed before personalities.”
He began working at age 14 as a busboy and credits his parents for instilling faith, work ethic, accountability, honesty, and service. His background includes service as a prosecutor, judge, defense attorney, guardian ad litem for children and the infirm, and small business owner.
Ekdahl has also volunteered since his youth in nursing homes, adult literacy programs, PASS Teen Court as a special judge, and most recently as a mentor volunteer and chairman of the Alabama Lawyers Assistance Program. He said, “Any judgeship requires personal service. That bench, gavel, and chair do not belong to the judge. They belong to God and the people. It’s a question of stewardship.”
For more information, visit www.electbradleyekdahl.com or email [email protected].
