Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack has endorsed Congressman Bradley Byrne’s (R-Montrose) bid for U.S. Senate. The Byrne campaign also has received the endorsement of Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran and the endorsement of Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton.
“Bradley Byrne stands with law enforcement,” Mack said in a statement. “Years ago, when the Obama administration tried to house illegal immigrants in our county, Bradley stood with us, and we were able to keep that from happening. Bradley understands the immigration problem this country is confronted with. That’s why I’m supporting Bradley Byrne for United States Senate.”
In Congress, Byrne has been a vocal opponent of undocumented immigrants and has voted in favor of building President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Byrne is serving in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Byrne has previously served on the Alabama State Board of Education, in the state Senate and as chancellor of the state’s two-year college system. Byrne was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010 but was defeated in the Republican runoff by then State Rep. Robert Bentley, who went on to defeat Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks in the general election.
Byrne is a lifelong native of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Byrne is an attorney. He has a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He is married to Rebecca Dukes Byrne. They have four children.
Byrne was elected to Congress in a special election, after Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, resigned to take a position with the University of Alabama System.
The field for the Republican nomination for Senate is a large one. In addition to Byrne, businessman Stanley Adair, Secretary of State John Merrill, former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville, former Chief Justice Roy Moore and State Rep. Arnold Mooney are all running.
Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, is a former U.S. attorney in the Clinton administration. He had been practicing law in Birmingham since leaving the Department of Justice. Jones defeated Roy Moore in a fiercely fought 2017 special election that drew national attention. Jones is presently the only statewide elected official in the Democratic Party.
Republican Jeff Sessions had held that seat from 1997 to 2017. He vacated it to accept a position as Trump’s U.S. attorney general.
The Alabama Republican Party is optimistic that they can take that seat back next year.
The Republican primary will be on March 3.
The general election will be on Nov. 3, 2020.
To see a video of Cochran endorsing Bradley Byrne for Senate, click here.
