While it was not a total surprise, Monday’s announcement from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) that he would not seek a seventh term in 2022 did send shockwaves through the political universe — not just in Alabama but around the country.
Shelby served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and nearly six terms in the U.S. Senate over four decades on Capitol Hill.
For 20 of those years, he served alongside Jeff Sessions, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 but left in 2016 to serve as the Trump administration’s attorney general. In a statement given to Yellowhammer News, Sessions called the announcement a “significant moment in Alabama history.”
“The announcement by my friend and colleague, Richard Shelby, that he will not seek re-election is a significant moment in Alabama history,” he said. “No one in the history of the Senate or Congress has delivered more financial benefits for Alabama than Senator Shelby. His work has been of monumental importance. The good news is that he will continue to serve and work for us for another two years as the top, ranking Republican on the extremely important Appropriations Committee. There he is critically positioned to protect Alabama interests.”
“I send my thanks for Richard’s friendship for me personally over the 20 years we served together in the Senate and afterward,” Sessions added. “I cherish that partnership, which was productive for Alabama and the nation in many ways. Mary and I send our best wishes to wonderful Annette and Richard and our sincere appreciation for their vital and continued service for the state we love.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
