Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Appoints Luther Strange to Vacant Senate Seat

Alabama's newest Senator is now Luther Strange. Governor Bentley announced the appointment in a press release this morning.  Senator Strange takes the vacancy created by Jeff Session's appointment as U.S. Attorney General.

Bentley's press release is listed below:

Governor Robert Bentley announced on Thursday the appointment of Luther Strange to Alabama U.S. Senator. Strange will fill the Senate seat vacated by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions who was confirmed Wednesday night to serve as United States Attorney General. Previous to the appointment, Strange served as Alabama’s Attorney General, first elected to office in 2011.

“This is truly a remarkable time in our state’s history,” said Governor Bentley. “Alabama has surely been well represented by Senator Sessions, and I am confident Senator Strange will serve as a fine representative for our people. His leadership on a national level, service as a statewide elected official and long record of taking on tough federal issues are the very qualities that will make him a strong conservative Senator for Alabama.”

Governor Bentley and Strange were both elected in 2010, and often campaigned together as part of a slate of Republicans who swept state elections. After taking office in 2011, Governor Bentley and Strange joined together the forces of the Governor’s Office and The Attorney General’s Office to begin the lengthy process of negotiating a settlement from the unprecedented 2010 BP Oil Spill.  In 2015, Governor Bentley and Strange jointly announced the landmark $2 Billion settlement with BP.

“I am greatly honored and humbled to accept the appointment to Alabama’s Senate seat vacated by Senator Jeff Sessions,” said Attorney General Luther Strange.  “Senator Sessions’ commitment to public service is nearly unparalleled in Alabama history and his departure from the Senate leaves tremendous shoes to fill.  I pledge to the people of Alabama to continue the same level of leadership as Jeff Sessions in consistently fighting to protect and advance the conservative values we all care about.”

The Senate selection process began last fall following Senator Sessions’ appointment to US Attorney General by President Trump. Governor Bentley received hundreds of surveys with recommendations from members of the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee and conducted more than 20 hours of interviews with candidates.

The Special election for the U.S. Senate seat will take place in 2018.