By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, July 6, 2017, Trump’s Alabama campaign Chairman Attorney and Criminal Court Judge Chess Bedsole announced that he was launching a campaign to receive the Republican nomination for Alabama Attorney General.
Bedsole has spent the last two years working with President Donald Trump’s campaign and then working for US Attorney General Jeff Sessions as Senior Counsel to the incoming Department of Justice.
During his time with the Sessions’ transition team, Bedsole worked to rewrite Obama executive orders and implement the policies of Trump and Sessions.
Bedsole said in a statement, “We need an Attorney General who neither asked for, nor took anything from Governor Bentley and his cronies. I have clean hands and I am the only candidate who can say that. Therefore, I won’t have to recuse myself or get a special prosecutor to do my job for me.”
Bedsole said, “I’m running for Attorney General to aggressively lower violent crime in our cities, cut illegal drug sales in the State, empower our law enforcement community with more resources and less red tape and to restore integrity to the office.
Bedsole said that his focus included securing the border, taking unnecessary regulations off the backs of our military, removing barriers to the 2nd amendment freedoms of gun owners and protecting the right to life.
As a Criminal Court Judge in North Alabama, Bedsole says that he has a record of swift justice. He supported Law Enforcement efforts to fight drug sales and worked with local charities and churches to help victims of domestic violence. He also cut costs to taxpayers by requiring work or school of young, able-bodied, nonviolent offenders.
Bedsole is also known for his legal work helping to ensure the success of Republican candidates including time working for President George W. Bush after serving on Bush’s litigation team on the Gore v. Bush Florida recount. Additionally, Chess challenged two Alabama recounts, leading to the defeats of Democrats Don Siegelman and Roger Bedford.
Bedsole has a bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta and a law degree from the University of Alabama.
Bedsole was born in Mobile. He and his wife Jenna live in Birmingham with their two daughters. They are members of Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Bedsole faces incumbent Steve Marshall (R). Marshall was formerly the Marshall County District Attorney. Marshall was appointed AG by then Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) after Bentley appointed AG Luther Strange to fill the Senate vacancy created by Sen. Jeff Sessions’ appointment to US Attorney General. Former US Attorney Alice Martin is also running for the Republican nomination for Attorney General.
Bedsole was the keynote speaker this spring at the Winston County GOP’s dinner.
The Republican Primary will be on June 5, 2018.
