As the Republican establishment has attempted to clear the field for Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL), who will run to hold onto his seat in a special election later this year, a hardline House conservative, Rep. Mo Brooks, has announced he will run for the seat, adding to the already crowded field.
Brooks announced on the local, Huntsville area radio station WVNN Sunday that he was running, Politico reported. He will then get his campaign going in four events throughout the state Monday.
The campaign is for the seat original vacated by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) when President Trump nominated him for attorney general. Strange, a former Alabama attorney general, was appointed to the seat temporarily by then Gov. Robert Bentley (R). (Bentley has since stepped down while pleading guilty for the charges of misuse of campaign funds, allegedly resulting from affair with an aide).
The primary election for the seat has been scheduled for August 15, with a run-off December 12.
According to an earlier Politico report, outside consulting firms had been warned by the national GOP’s Senate campaign against helping Republicans seeking to challenge Strange.
Brooks is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and was first elected to the House in 2010.
In addition to Brooks, Strange so far will be facing off with State Rep. Ed Henry (R), the controversial former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, businessman Dom Gentile, and Christian Coalition of Alabama President Randy Brinson as well as a Democrat, former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones.
