Longtime Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby Announces Retirement
The 86-year-old Alabama Republican's decision to retire will result in a crowded Republican primary in this solidly red state
Longtime Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican from Alabama who chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee, announced on Monday that he will not run for re-election in 2022, triggering the first open Senate election in Alabama since 1996 and the first open election for Shelby’s seat since 1978.
The announcement did not come as a surprise to observers. Shelby, 86, has been in Congress for over four decades. He served four terms in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 1986. But in the days following the 1994 Republican Revolution, Shelby was one of many moderate to conservative Democrats to switch to the Republican Party. An institution in Alabama, Shelby rose to chair the Appropriations Committee, which allowed him to secure millions of dollars in federal funding for the state.
Shelby maintains a great relationship with some of his colleagues across the aisle. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, Shelby’s Democratic counterpart on Appropriations, praised the Alabama Republican in a statement on Monday. “Although we have our political differences, we worked closely together on passing the annual Appropriations bills and negotiated the end of the longest government shutdown in United States history,” said Leahy. “I look forward to continuing our partnership on the Appropriations Committee over the next two years.”
Shelby’s decision to retire is unlikely to impact the battle for control of the U.S. Senate in 2022, as Alabama is a solidly Republican state. However, it will very likely trigger a crowded Republican primary. A plethora of Alabama Republicans are currently mulling bids for the seat. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who briefly ran for Senate in 2020, said that he is “certainly considering” a bid for the seat and that he plans to announce his decision in April.
Lynda Blanchard, who served as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the European nation of Slovenia, issued a statement on Tuesday saying she is “deeply interested” in promoting the former President’s agenda “while fighting the socialist policies of the Biden/Pelosi/Sanders/Schumer crowd.”
Other possible Republican contenders include ultraconservative Rep. Mo Brooks, who has been criticized for his role in the Trump rally in Washington on January 6 that led to the deadly riot at the Capitol. Late last year, The Hill reported that Shelby had planned to endorse businesswoman Katie Boyd Britt, who once served as his chief of staff, to succeed him in the Senate. Jessica Taylor, who unsuccessfully ran in the Republican primary for Alabama’s 2nd district in 2020, has been mentioned as a possible contender for the seat. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Rep. Gary Palmer have also been mentioned as potential candidates, AL.com has a rundown of potential candidates here.
Shelby is the fourth Republican Senator to announce his retirement in 2022. Pat Toomey (PA), Rob Portman (OH) and Richard Burr (NC), all of whom are Republicans, also plan to leave Washington at the end of 2022. Their decisions may put pressure on some other Senators who are seen as possible retirements. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who was first elected in 1980, will be 89 years old on election day 2022. He told the Des Moines Register that he will announce his decision in “several weeks.” 80-year-old Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore, was first elected in 1974 and was recently hospitalized following a health scare at the beginning of the impeachment trial. He has not announced his 2022 plans but noted that "the latest polls show me winning easily."