Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions may jump into the race for his old Alabama Senate seat, which he gave up when he joined President Trump’s administration in 2017.
Sessions is strongly considering a Senate run in which he would take on a crowded primary field of Republicans looking to battle Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who is filling the remainder of Sessions’ third term after winning a special election, according to Politico.
Sessions, 72, was a senator for Alabama for two decades before Trump tapped him to lead the Department of Justice as attorney general. The pair had a public falling out after Sessions chose to recuse himself from the department’s investigation into 2016 Russian election interference, and he later exited the administration.
The former senator has just days to decide if he’ll run, as candidates must qualify for the ballot by Nov. 8. If he pulls the trigger, he’ll have to face off against five other Republicans already in the race, including Rep. Bradley Byrne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, Secretary of State John Merrill, state Rep. Arnold Mooney, and former candidate Roy Moore, who lost in 2017 after sexual misconduct allegations.
Allies of Sessions are already expressing excitement over his potential bid.
“We were enthusiastic way back early on that Sessions, when he retired from the attorney general spot, might go back to the Senate,” David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, said. “At that point, he didn’t want to think about that because he was just finishing up one job. I’m very encouraged he’s now seriously considering it.”
However, some aren’t so sure if Sessions will be able to bounce back after his spat with Trump.
“There isn’t anyone who has fallen more out of favor with President Trump than Jeff Sessions,” one Republican steeped in the race told Politico. “Whatever goodwill that might still exist for him among Alabama Republicans would evaporate after sustained Trump tweets.”
While Sessions would have the money to compete in the primary, as he still holds $2.5 million in his campaign account, he has so far declined to publicly discuss whether he’ll run.
