Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is expected to move very quickly to appoint someone to fill the U.S. Senate seat that will be left vacant after Sen. Jeff Sessions is confirmed as attorney general Wednesday evening.
The GOP governor hasn’t announced his decision, but political analysts are predicting he’ll appoint the state’s Republican attorney general, Luther Strange, nicknamed “Big Luther,” to fill the post until a special election is held next year.
Senate Republicans control 52 votes – a bare majority that in recent days nearly put in jeopardy the confirmation of Education Secretary DeVos. DeVos lost the support of two GOP lawmakers and required a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence to win confirmation.
“My money is on A.G. Luther Strange,” Jonathan Gray, an Alabaman GOP political consultant, told the Washington Examiner.
Gray said Strange, 63, has all the attributes of a conservative politician who will follow in the footsteps of Sessions and is also capable of winning the seat in a 2018 special election.
“He has a great history in Alabama, Gray said. “He has run statewide. As a lawyer was very involved in Washington D.C. in many different legislative matters professionally before running for public office. He has won and lost, both of which are important.”
Strange is on a short list that includes Rep. Robert Aderholt, a Republican who represents the state’s 4th District, and State Senate President Pro Tempore, Republican Del Marsh.
Strange has already announced he will run in the special election to fill the position permanently.
“Governor Bentley must decide whether to pick a placeholder, someone who would be able to hold the seat in a race against Strange, or Strange himself,” Cameron Smith, a former top aide to Sessions who is a senior fellow at the R Street Institute, told the Washington Examiner.
But Bentley will likely be criticized for picking his top law enforcement officer because of his own political and legal problems.
Strange is now weighing whether to launch an investigation into Bentley’s relationship with a top political aide and his potential misuse of state funds.
The state legislature suspended impeachment proceedings against Bentley at the request of Strange, who said it might overlap with his own probe.
“If Bentley picks Strange, the governor will immediately face strong backlash for seemingly using his appointment power to interfere with investigations into scandal that’s plagued his most recent term in office,” Smith said.
Aderholt and Marsh, meanwhile, “have the kind of fundraising apparatus to be competitive with Strange in 2018,” which could improve the chances of either lawmaker, Smith said.
But Smith pointed out Bentley would have a good reason to leave Aderholt and Marsh where they are.
Aderholt is “incredibly valuable” to the state as a top member of the House Appropriations Committee, Smith said, while Marsh is “the main political driver” in the state legislature.
Jennifer Duffy, who is senior editor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report, said Bentley could choose a replacement further down the list. Other candidates include Jim Byard, who is director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, state Rep. Connie Rowe and former state Rep. Perry Hooper Jr.
“The smart money is on Luther Strange,” Duffy said. “He has been raising money and lining up support.”
