Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Wednesday announced that he will announce his plans for political office in a news conference on Thursday in Montgomery
Marshall will be joined by supporters for a 12 p.m. campaign announcement on the steps of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in Montgomery. The news media and public are invited to attend.
Political insiders speculate that Marshall will formally announce that he will run in 2022 for four more years as Alabama attorney general.
Marshall was elected as attorney general in 2018, after being appointed to the vacant position by then-Gov. Robert Bentley in 2017. The position was made vacant when Bentley appointed then-Attorney General Luther Strange to the vacancy in the Senate created when the Senate confirmed former Sen. Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general.
Marshall was a longtime district attorney in Marshall County. Marshall’s wife died by suicide during the 2018 Republican runoff campaign. They have one adult daughter. The 2022 Republican primary will be on May 24, 2022.
Lt. Gov Will Ainsworth has already announced that he is running for re-election as lieutenant governor. Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate is also running for re-election. Most insiders expect that Gov. Kay Ivey will seek another term as governor.
At the congressional level, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, has announced that he will not run for another term in the U.S. Senate. Congressman Mo Brooks has subsequently announced that he is running for Senate, meaning that his 5th Congressional District seat will be an open seat in 2022. None of the other members of Alabama’s House delegation have yet announced their 2022 campaign plans.
Secretary of State John Merrill and State Auditor Jim Zeigler are term-limited from running for another term. Merrill has already announced that he will not be running for another office in 2022.
Lee County Pastor Dean Odle has announced that he will be running for governor in the Republican primary. State Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, has announced that he is running for secretary of state.
We are not aware of any Democrats who have publicly announced 2022 plans to run for a statewide office.
