Luther Strange
Luther Strange | |
---|---|
United States Senator from Alabama | |
In office February 9, 2017 – January 3, 2018 | |
Appointed by | Robert Bentley |
Preceded by | Jeff Sessions |
Succeeded by | Doug Jones |
47th Attorney General of Alabama | |
In office January 17, 2011 – February 9, 2017 | |
Governor | Robert Bentley |
Preceded by | Troy King |
Succeeded by | Steve Marshall |
Personal details | |
Born | Luther Johnson Strange III March 1, 1953 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Melissa Strange |
Children | 2 |
Education | Tulane University (BA, JD) |
Signature | |
Luther Johnson Strange III (born March 1, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Alabama from 2017 to 2018. He was appointed to fill that position after it was vacated by Sen. Jeff Sessions upon Sessions's confirmation as U.S. Attorney General.
He previously served as the 47th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Alabama from 2011 until 2017.[1] Strange was a candidate for public office in 2006, 2010 and 2014.[2][3] In 2006, Strange ran for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama and defeated George Wallace Jr. in the Republican primary. Strange then lost the general election to Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. In 2010, Strange defeated incumbent Attorney General Troy King in the Republican primary, before going on to win the general election against Democrat James Anderson.[4]
After President Donald Trump appointed U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama to the office of United States Attorney General in February 2017, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed Strange to fill the vacancy.[5] He ran to finish the term in the subsequent special election and advanced to the Republican primary runoff, in which he lost to former state judge Roy Moore.[6] On December 12, Democratic nominee and former U.S. attorney Doug Jones was elected as his successor, defeating Moore in the special election.
Early life and education
Luther Strange was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and lived in Sylacauga until the age of six, when his family moved to Homewood. Strange graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1971. He received his undergraduate degree from Tulane University. He then graduated from Tulane University Law School. Strange was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1981.[7]
Early career
Strange's first job after graduating law school was at Sonat Offshore, a subsidiary of Sonat Inc., a natural gas utility based in Birmingham, Alabama; he joined the company in 1980 as a lawyer. In 1985, Strange became head of Sonat's Washington, D.C. office. He left the company in 1994. In the 1980s and 1990s, Strange was a registered lobbyist in Washington for Sonat and Transocean Offshore Drilling Co.[8]
Prior to being elected Attorney General, Strange was the founder of the law firm Strange LLC, a
Attorney General of Alabama
As Alabama Attorney General, Strange sued the federal government several times, over such issues as a
Strange is an opponent of same-sex marriage. He expressed disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges which found a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.[13][14]
His tenure in office included the conviction and removal from office of the Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard in June 2016. However, Strange recused himself from that case, appointing Van Davis as Acting Attorney General to oversee it.[15]
As attorney general, Strange was the coordinating counsel for the Gulf Coast states in the litigation on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[11]
In April 2014, Strange argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Lane v. Franks. The case involved a whistleblower who reported corruption within the Alabama community college system. This was Strange's first argument before the Court.[16][17]
In March 2014, Strange brought Alabama into a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General
Strange served as chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2016 and 2017.
U.S. Senate
The appointment of Senator Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General in November 2016 created an opening for a U.S. Senate seat that Governor Bentley would fill by appointment upon Sessions' confirmation. Many aspirants publicly declared their interest in the appointive Senate seat, and in running for it even if not selected by Bentley.[19]
Appointment
Strange revealed his intention to seek the Senate seat to
Bentley began interviewing candidates for the Senate appointment in mid-December.
Strange was not interviewed until the following week, along with U.S. Representative
In January 2017, Governor Bentley announced the special election for the remainder of Sessions' term would not take place until 2018, giving the prospective new appointee a year of incumbency;[27] the election was ultimately held in December 2017. On February 2, Governor Bentley named six finalists for the appointment. The list included U.S. Representative Robert Aderholt, Senate President pro tempore Del Marsh, Attorney General Strange; Bentley ACEA appointee Jim Byard, state Representative Connie Rowe, and former state Representative Perry Hooper Jr.[28]
Selection
Following the Sessions confirmation on February 8, 2017, Bentley announced Strange's appointment on February 9. "Let me tell you why I chose Luther Strange," Bentley said. "I truly believe Luther has the qualifications and has the qualities that will serve our people well and serve this state well." Speaking with his wife Melissa by his side, Strange called the appointment "the honor of my life," while citing his efforts with other Republican attorneys general to stop environmental, educational and labor regulations put forward by former President Barack Obama's administration. "Now we have the chance to go on the offense," he said. "Jeff Sessions as attorney general is the first step in that process."[29]
Reaction
Strange's appointment was welcomed by fellow Republicans, such as
There was negative reaction from other Republicans who expressed concern about Strange's appointment. In early November 2016, prior to Election Day, he had requested that impeachment proceedings against Bentley be delayed.[34] Some saw a link between this and Strange's appointment. "There's going to be such an air of conspiracy hanging over our state and our new senator," said state representative Ed Henry.[35] "It's just one of those things where it appears there could have been collusion," said state representative Allen Farley.[35] "The whole thing stinks," said State Auditor Jim Zeigler. "It is outrageous. We have the potential for Gov. Blagojevich situation."[36]
This interpretation was disputed by Mike Jones Jr., House Judiciary Committee Chairman, who said he believes the appointment was done in good faith. Jones noted that the hearings were stopped before the election and before the senate seat was available. "I made it clear in November when we were asked to pause that did not mean this would not finish, that there would come a time when we would conclude this investigation and we would have a hearing. I still say that."[37] Jones and House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said February 9 they would wait for word from the attorney general's office before resuming the committee's work. McCutcheon said he wanted the process to play out.[38]
Strange was quoted on February 9, 2017, as saying, "We have never said and I want to make this clear. We have never said in our office that we are investigating the governor. I think it's unfair to him and unfair to the process that it's been reported out there.[39] We have six years of a record of the highest caliber of conduct of people in our Attorney General's office. That's why we don't comment on these things and why I don't plan to comment on that anymore."[38] Governor Bentley later resigned after being indicted on criminal charges.
Tenure
In 2017, Strange was one of 22 senators to sign a letter[40] to President Donald Trump urging the President to have the United States withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Committee assignments
- United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
- Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops(Chair)
- United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
- United States Senate Committee on the Budget
- United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
- Subcommittee on Water and Power
Source:[41]
Special election
Strange finished second to former
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Luther Strange | 208,558 | 48.13 | |
Republican | George Wallace Jr. | 144,619 | 33.37 | |
Republican | Mo Brooks | 67,773 | 15.64 | |
Republican | Hilbun "HA" Adams | 12,413 | 2.86 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Luther Strange | 108,904 | 54.81 | |
Republican | George Wallace Jr. | 89,788 | 45.19 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jim Folsom Jr. | 629,268 | 50.61 | |
Republican | Luther Strange | 610,982 | 49.14 | |
Write-ins | 3,029 | 0.24 | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Luther Strange | 284,853 | 60.13 | |
Republican | Troy King (incumbent) | 188,874 | 39.87 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Luther Strange | 868,520 | 58.84 | |
Democratic | James Anderson | 606,270 | 41.07 | |
Write-ins | 1,285 | 0.09 | ||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 681,973 | 58.39 | |
Democratic | Joe Hubbard | 483,771 | 41.42 | |
Write-ins | 2,157 | 0.18 | ||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 228,524 | 38.87% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 188,971 | 32.83% | |
Republican | Mo Brooks | 83,287 | 19.68% | |
Republican | Trip Pittman | 29,124 | 6.88% | |
Republican | Randy Brinson | 2,621 | 0.62% | |
Republican | Bryan Peeples | 1,579 | 0.37% | |
Republican | Mary Maxwell | 1,543 | 0.36% | |
Republican | James Beretta | 1,078 | 0.25% | |
Republican | Dom Gentile | 303 | 0.07% | |
Republican | Joseph Breault | 252 | 0.06% | |
Total votes | 423,282 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 262,204 | 54.6% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 218,066 | 45.4% | |
Total votes | 480,270 | 100.0% |
Political positions
Donald Trump
Strange was supportive of President Donald Trump, saying that he wants "his agenda passed" and that he "couldn't be more honored" to be given Trump's endorsement.[43] During Strange's tenure in the U.S. Senate, Strange voted in line with Donald Trump's stated position 91.1% of the time.[44]
Gun policy
Strange has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund for his opposition towards banning firearms and magazines and his consistent rejection of gun control efforts by the Democratic Party. Chris W. Cox describes Strange as being a "champion for gun owners in Alabama and across the country."[45]
Personal life
Strange is married to Melissa Strange[46] and resides in Homewood, Alabama.[47]
At 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall, Strange is the tallest U.S. Senator in history to have served[48] and was among the tallest members of Congress.[49][50]
Strange is a member of the Episcopal Church.
Strange holds a 16% share of Sunbelt EB-5 Regional Center, LLC, which helps broker deals between investors and U.S. projects that need capital. The company uses the
Awards and honors
In 2011, Strange was honored by the Boy Scouts of America as a Distinguished Eagle Scout.[52][53]
References
- ^ a b "About Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange". Office of the Attorney General. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
- Gadsden Times. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
- ^ "Strange leads fundraising efforts in Lt. Gov's race". Legacy.decaturdaily.com. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
- ^ Washington, Dennis. "Luther Strange declared winner for Attorney General". myfoxal.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ^ Vogel, Kenneth P.; Bresnahan, John; Caputo, Marc (February 8, 2017). "Governor expected to pick 'Big Luther' Strange to replace Sessions". Politico. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Burns, Alexander; Bloch, Matthew; Lee, Jasmine; Martin, Jonathan (September 26, 2017). "Live Election Results: U.S. Senate Primary Runoff in Alabama". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
- ^ "Strange, Luther". Congressional Biography. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- AL.com(May 7, 2010).
- ^ Alabama sues Obama administration over transgender school bathroom order, Associated Press (May 25, 2016).
- AL.com(September 6, 2012).
- ^ a b Kim Chandler, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange Named to Sessions' Former Senate Seat, Associated Press (February 9, 2017).
- ^ Chris Mooney, Brady Dennis & Steven Mufson, Trump names Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma attorney general suing EPA on climate change, to head the EPA, Washington Post (December 8, 2016).
- AL.com(March 9, 2015).
- ^ ALABAMA ATTORNEY GENERAL STRANGE'S STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Archived February 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (press release), Office of the Alabama Attorney General (June 26, 2015).
- AL.com(June 10, 2016).
- AL.com(April 28, 2014).
- ^ Robert Barnes, Fired public employee tells court his Constitutional rights were violated, Washington Post (April 28, 2014).
- ^ "Six States Challenge Constitutionality of California's 'Bad Egg Bill'". Protect The Harvest. March 5, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
Bob Egelko (October 2, 2014). "Judge tosses suit by 6 states over California law on eggs - SFGate". M.sfgate.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
Perry, Mark (October 3, 2014). "Lawsuit against California egg law dismissed - FDA report stokes debate over antibiotics - U.S. revokes special treatment for Canadian produce". Politico. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
Miller, Jim (October 2, 2014). "Judge tosses lawsuit challenging California egg laws". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
"AL Attorney General "Big Luther" Strange Loses Chicken Lawsuit Against California". Leftinalabama.com. May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016. - ^ Birmingham News, 12/4/16; Birmingham News, 12/15/16
- ^ Fred, Barnes (November 22, 2016). "Alabama AG Luther Strange to Run for Sessions Senate Seat". Weekly Standard.
- ^ AP, 12/6/16
- ^ Associated Press, January 11, 2017, "Strange raises $309,000 for potential Senate race"
- ^ Birmingham Business Journal, 12/14/16
- ^ Birmingham News, 12/16/16
- ^ Montgomery Advertiser, 12/22/16
- ^ AP, 12/29/16
- ^ a b AP, 1/6/17
- ^ AP, 2/2/17
- ^ Lyman, Brian, Montgomery Advertiser, February 10, 2017, "Strange named to fill U.S. Senate seat; Governor's appointment follows Sessions' confirmation as AG"
- ^ News release, States News Service, 2/9/17
- ^ New York Times, 2/10/17
- ^ "Alabama AG Luther Strange Named To Fill Sessions' Senate Vacancy". Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ "Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange Chosen To Replace Jeff Sessions". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ Cason, Mike (November 3, 2016). "Bentley impeachment process on hold for investigation by AG Strange". The Birmingham News. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Nelson, Steven (February 9, 2017). "Luther Strange Senate Appointment Dismays Some Alabama Republicans". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- CNN.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Taylor Thompson. "Strange filling U.S. Senate seat opens up questions surrounding Bentley's impeachment hearings". WAAY-TV. Retrieved February 11, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Montgomery Advertiser, February 10, 2017
- ^ "Questions Surround Gov. Bentley's Senate Appointment". February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ Inhofe, James. "Senator". Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ "About Luther - Committee Assignments". U.S. Senate. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Republican Senate runoff results". AlabamaVotes.gov (Secretary of State's office). Retrieved September 26, 2017.
- ^ "Strange plays up Trump support on day of Alabama GOP primary". POLITICO. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- ^ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Luther Strange In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- ^ "NRA Endorses Sen. Luther Strange in Alabama Special Election". NRA-ILA. National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
- AL.com(February 9, 2017) (see photo caption).
- AL.com(January 17, 2017).
- ^ Garrison, Greg (June 9, 2017). "Strange stands tall in Senate race, shadowed by Bentley". al.com. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- Washington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Dowd, Maureen (April 20, 1987). "A Matter of Measurement", The New York Times; retrieved August 24, 2009.
- ^ Lawson, Brian (September 20, 2017). "Luther Strange benefits financially from company selling visa access to wealthy foreigners". WHNT-TV. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ "Boy Scouts reception set to honor Luther Strange and new Eagle Scouts | Community Spirit | Greenville News". Greenville.wsfa.com. December 5, 2011. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ "To Be Honored Tonight As Distinguished Eagle Scout". Luther Strange. December 8, 2011. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2012.