adminCandidates for the Alabama U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Republican Luther Strange had until May 17 to qualify for the Aug. 15 party primaries. Strange, appointed by former Gov. Robert Bentley, is seeking election with 18 other candidates, including 10 additional Republicans and eight Democrats.
Additional Republican candidates are: James Paul Beretta, Joseph F. Breault, Randy Brinson, Mo Brooks, Dom Gentile, Karen Haiden Jackson, Mary Maxwell, Roy Moore, Bryan Peeples, and Trip Pittman. Democratic candidates are: Will Boyd, Vann Caldwell, Jason Fisher, Michael Hansen, Doug Jones, Robert Kennedy Jr., Brian McGee, and Nana Tchienkou.
The race comes after Gov. Kay Ivey moved the special election date for the US Senate seat vacated by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The new schedule sets the primary on Aug.15, 2017, runoff on Sept. 26, 2017, and the general election on Dec. 12, 2017, almost a year ahead of the previously schedule election date.
When she set the new election schedule, Ivey said, “This is not a hastily-made decision. I consulted legal counsel, the finance director, Speaker McCutcheon, Senate President Del Marsh, and both budget chairmen since the cost to the General Fund could be great. However, following the law trumps the expense of a special election.”
