The following dive into Alabama’s vacancy machinations comes by way of Dentons50 member Toby Roth.
With the anticipated confirmation of U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) as U.S. Attorney General, back home in the Yellowhammer State there is considerable focus on who will replace the longtime lawmaker. Alabama’s vacancy statue provides that the governor make an interim appointment to temporarily fill the vacancy until such a time as a special election has been held.
The process of filling the expected vacancy has taken an interesting turn over the past two months. Governor Robert Bentley has conducted formal interviews for the expected vacancy, and in late December his office announced the names of the 20 individuals that were interviewed. Just this week, the Governor’s office announced the list of 20 candidates had been narrowed to six finalists:
- Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville)
- Alabama Department of Economic & Community Affairs Director and former Prattville Mayor Jim Byard
- Trump state campaign chairman and former legislator Perry Hooper, Jr. (R-Montgomery)
- State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston)
- State Representative Connie Rowe (R-Jasper)
- Attorney General Luther Strange (R)
The vacancy statute sets no timetable for the appointment or the special election – only that the Governor set the special election “forthwith.” The Governor is expected to make an appointment soon after Sessions’ confirmation, which is anticipated any day now that Sessions has been OK’d by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Once the interim appointment is made, Governor Bentley has stated that he intends to set the special election for the Senate seat in the 2018 election cycle when the state’s executive and legislative offices will all be on the ballot as well. After the 2018 special election, the seat will then be up for a full-term election in 2020.
