Altes was the first graduate of Southside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas before attending Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. In college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War^[1] and was stationed in Panmunjom, Korea, where he served in the military police. Upon his return he completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and later attended graduate school at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He is a member of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans.

In 1974, Altes founded Altes Company and Environmental Systems, of which he was the president. From 1982 until 2007, he was president and CEO of Resourect Recycling Inc., which merged with Fibresource, Inc., in 1991.

Before the start of his legislative career, Altes was a justice of the peace for the Sebastian County Quorum Court, equivalent to county commission in other states. In January 1999, he won a special election to serve the remainder of the term of former State Representative W. K. "Mac" McGehee's term in the Arkansas House. In 2000, he sought re-election unopposed for House District 14.

In 2002, Altes ran for the vacated District 13 Senate seat and was re-elected in 2006. In the 86th General Assembly, he served as Senate Minority Leader and Assistant President Pro Tempore.

Altes served on a number of committees in the Arkansas General Assembly. Altes was the chairman of the Joint Performance Review committee and also served on the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) – Senate, Joint Budget Committee, Joint Revenue & Tax – Senate Rules committee, Senate Transportation, and Technology committee and the Insurance and Commerce committee during his time in the Senate. The Arkansas Chapter of American Family Association gave him an 80% evaluation in 2005.

He and his wife, Susan, have two children, Bobby and Ana, and six grandchildren, Cole, Caroline, Andrew, Madelyn, Gabriel, and Dallas. Representative Altes and his wife are members of First Baptist Church in Fort Smith, where he serves as a deacon.