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Luther Strange
Luther J. Strange, III (born March 1, 1953, in Birmingham, Alabama) is a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Alabama. Strange was first appointed to the Senate position by Gov. Robert Bentley on February 9, 2017. He replaced Jeff Sessions, who was confirmed as United States Attorney General. Strange ran in the Republican primary runoff election on September 26, 2017, and lost to former chief justice Roy Moore. Strange and Moore were the top two vote-getters in the primary election on August 15, 2017, but a runoff was triggered because neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote.[1]
Strange is the former Republican Attorney General of Alabama. He was first elected to the statewide position in 2010 after first upsetting the previous officer, Republican Troy King, in the state's primary contest on June 1, 2010.[2] He went on to win the general election on November 2, 2010, and assumed office on January 17, 2011. Strange's first four-year term ended on January 19, 2015, and he won re-election to a second term on November 4, 2014.[3]
Prior to becoming attorney general, Strange operated his own practice in Birmingham. Before that, he worked for the lobbying firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLC.
Strange's formal entry into state politics was in 2006, when he ran for Lieutenant Governor. Though he easily secured the Republican nomination, he lost narrowly in the general election to former governor Jim Folsom, Jr. Before ever stepping up to the podium as a candidate, Strange had already established himself as an active member of the Republican Party of Alabama behind the scenes. He founded the Red Mountain Republican Club in 1997 and served as the Chair of the Committee to Elect Bill Pryor in 1998 and 2002.
Biography
Strange was born and raised in Birmingham, Al, where he was heavily involved in the community. He participated in Eagle Scouts and sports, basketball in particular, which he played on scholarship at Tulane University while pursuing his bachelor's degree in political science.[2]
After receiving his law degree, also from Tulane, Strange began working for Sonat, Inc., a large Fortune 500 American energy holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. He was later promoted to direct the company's Washington D.C. office. Strange then joined with lawyer Jack Selden to open up their own private practice law firm, which eventually merged with Bradley, Arant, Rose, & White in 1998. Ten years later, he left and formed his own law firm, Strange, LLC, which focuses on economic development work. Strange, LCC was ranked among the "Best Law Firms" by U.S. News in 2010, owing in large part to Strange's efforts advising companies on growth and expansion opportunities within the state of Alabama.[4]
Strange is a former recipient of the Birmingham Business Journal's "Best of the Bar Award." He is on the Talladega College Board of Trustees, a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club and the Monday Morning Quarterback Club.
Career
- 2017-2018: U.S. Senator from Alabama
- 2011-2017: Attorney general of Alabama
- 1979: Graduated from Tulane University Law School with a J.D.
- 1976: Graduated from Tulane University with a B.A.
Key votes
- See also: Key votes
Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.
Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018
- For detailed information about each vote, click here.
Issues
Attorney general
Fighting public corruption
Strange forged a collaborative initiative called the Special Prosecutions Alliance in April 2012. Dedicated to combating public corruption, the alliance brings together several state agencies, including the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, the Ethics Commission, Department of Public Safety, Insurance Department and Criminal Justice Information Center. Strange appointed Special Prosecutor Matt Hart to lead the division, with the accompanying warning that officials who violate the public trust can expect to be held to account "regardless of their political affiliation or position." In his April 12 announcement of the alliance's launch, Strange stressed the importance of protecting "the integrity of government and taxpayers' money during times of scarce resources."[45]
Birth control mandate
On March 22, 2012 Strange filed a motion with the US District Court in Birmingham, Alabama to become co-plaintiff alongside EWTN Global Catholic Television Network in its existing suit against the federal government for requiring employers to provide contraception coverage in their businesses' healthcare plans.[46] The organization's file claim was that the mandate violates the convictions of religious employers, and Strange agreed, citing his statutory responsibilities to protect the missions of Alabama charitable institutions against this "interfering" federal regulation. He pledged to throw the weight of the office behind EWTN, which Strange said is "the largest religious media network in the world."[47]
Elections
2017
Republican primary election results
U.S. Senate, Alabama Republican primary, August 15, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
38.9% | 164,524 | |
Republican | ![]() |
32.8% | 138,971 | |
Republican | Mo Brooks | 19.7% | 83,287 | |
Republican | Trip Pittman | 6.9% | 29,124 | |
Republican | Randy Brinson | 0.6% | 2,621 | |
Republican | Bryan Peeples | 0.4% | 1,579 | |
Republican | Mary Maxwell | 0.4% | 1,543 | |
Republican | James Beretta | 0.3% | 1,078 | |
Republican | Dom Gentile | 0.1% | 303 | |
Republican | Joseph Breault | 0.1% | 252 | |
Total Votes | 423,282 | |||
Source: Alabama Secretary of State |
Republican primary runoff election results
U.S. Senate, Alabama Republican primary runoff, September 26, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
54.6% | 262,641 | |
Republican | Luther Strange | 45.4% | 218,505 | |
Total Votes | 481,146 | |||
Source: Alabama Secretary of State |
General election results
U.S. Senate, Alabama general election, December 12, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democrat | ![]() |
50% | 673,896 | |
Republican | Roy Moore | 48.3% | 651,972 | |
Independent | Write-in | 1.7% | 22,852 | |
Total Votes | 1,348,720 | |||
Source: Alabama Secretary of State |
2014
- See also: Alabama attorney general election, 2014
Strange ran for re-election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He was uncontested for the Republican nomination in the June 3 primary. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Results
Attorney General of Alabama, 2014 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
58.4% | 681,973 | |
Democratic | Joseph Lister Hubbard | 41.4% | 483,771 | |
Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 2,157 | |
Total Votes | 1,167,901 | |||
Election results via Alabama Secretary of State |
Race background
Mike Hubbard indictment
The October 20 indictment of Alabama State House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R) on ethics charges became a topic of discussion in the 2014 attorney general race. Attorney General Luther Strange (R) appointed special prosecutor Van Jones in 2013 to oversee a grand jury investigation of Hubbard, who was accused of using his office for personal gain. Hubbard's indictment on 23 charges drew the attention of Strange's 2014 opponent, Joseph Lister Hubbard (D), who stated that deputy attorney general Sonny Reagan was suspended for allegedly tampering with the investigation.[48] Reagan denied this accusation and called for an independent investigation into it.[49]
Joe Hubbard, who is not related to Mike Hubbard, also accused Strange of allowing government corruption to go unchecked during his time in office. The Democratic candidate suggested that Strange spent more time worrying about illegal gambling in the state rather than more serious crimes. Strange's campaign spokesperson, Mike Lewis, countered that the attorney general was proactive in corruption cases as demonstrated in the Mike Hubbard case. Lewis further criticized Joe Hubbard’s stance, alleging influence from campaign contributions by the Poarch Creek tribe and referring to him as a 'parrot of big casino bosses.'"[48]
2010
- See also: Alabama Attorney General election, 2010

General
On November 2, 2010, Luther Strange (R) won election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He defeated James H. Anderson (D) in the general election.
Attorney General of Alabama, 2010 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
58.8% | 868,520 | |
Democratic | James H. Anderson | 41.1% | 606,270 | |
Write-in | N/A | 0.1% | 1,285 | |
Total Votes | 1,476,075 | |||
Election results via Alabama Secretary of State. |
Primary
With 60.1 percent of the vote, Strange earned the Republican Party's nomination in the 2010 partisan primary race against incumbent Troy King.
2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary[50] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
Republican Party | ![]() |
60.1% | |
Republican Party | Troy King | 39.9% | |
Total Votes | 473,727 |
2006
2006 Race for Lieutenant Governor - Republican Primary | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
Republican Party | ![]() |
48.1%[51] | |
Republican Party | George C. Wallace, Jr. | 33.4% | |
Republican Party | Mo Brooks | 15.6% | |
Republican Party | Hilbun Adams | 2.9% | |
Total Votes | 433,363 |
2006 Race for Lieutenant Governor - Republican Primary Run-Off | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
Republican Party | ![]() |
54.8% | |
Republican Party | George C. Wallace, Jr. | 45.2% | |
Total Votes | 198,692 |
2006 Race for Lieutenant Governor - General Election | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
Democratic Party | ![]() |
50.6% | |
Republican Party | Luther Strange | 49.1% | |
Total Votes | 1,243,279 |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
- United States Senate
- United States Senate special election in Alabama, 2018
- Alabama Attorney General
External links
- Social media:
- Political profiles:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
Footnotes
- ↑ AL.com, "Luther Strange to replace Jeff Sessions in U.S. Senate," February 9, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Luther Strange, "Meet Luther," accessed February 6, 2012 (dead link) (dead link)
- ↑ Luther Strange for Attorney General 2014 Official Campaign Website, "Homepage," accessed September 10, 2013
- ↑ State of Alabama Office of the AG, "About the AG," accessed February 6, 2012
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment with an Amendment)," December 18, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2)," December 11, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 6, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 5, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2, As Amended)," June 28, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1959)," February 15, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1958 As Modified)," February 15, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1948)," February 15, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1955)," February 15, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the Consideration of S. 2311)," January 29, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (McConnell Amdt. No. 667)," July 28, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (Paul Amdt. No. 271 )," July 26, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Amdt. No. 270)," July 25, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Proceed to H.R. 1628)," July 25, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 7, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Upon Reconsideration, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Decision of the Chair (Shall the Decision of the Chair Stand as the Judgment of the Senate?)," April 6, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6157)," September 18, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5895)," September 12, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 6157 As Amended)," August 23, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5895 As Amended)," June 25, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625)," March 23, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1892 with an Amendment (SA 1930))," February 9, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment with Further Amendment)," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 19, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1370)," December 21, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Recede from the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1 and Concur with Further Amendment ," December 20, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 123)," December 7, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1 As Amended )," December 2, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amdt. to the Senate Amdt. with an Amdt. No. 808 to H.R. 601)," September 7, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 244)," May 4, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 54, As Amended), December 13, 2018
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2810 As Amended)," September 18, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate sends $692B defense policy bill to Trump's desk," November 15, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 3364)," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 722 As Amended)," June 15, 2017
- ↑ WSFA.com, "Attorney General announces corruption initiative," April 12, 2012
- ↑ CBS news, "Ala. Attorney General Joins Birth Control Lawsuit," March 22, 2012 (dead link) (dead link)
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal-Market Watch, "State of Alabama Joins EWTN Lawsuit Against HHS Mandate Press Release," March 22, 2012 (dead link) (dead link)
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 AL.com, "Luther Strange, Joe Hubbard battle over meaning of Mike Hubbard indictment in attorney general's race," October 22, 2014
- ↑ AL.com, "Deputy AG Sonny Reagan asks for independent investigation into dispute with other prosecutors," September 24, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State - 2010 Republican Primary Election Results
- ↑ Even though Luther Strange received the most votes, he failed to receive over fifty percent of those votes required by Alabama state law. A runoff election between the top two vote recipients, therefore, was required to decide who went on to the general election.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Jeff Sessions (R) |
U.S. Senate, Alabama 2017-2018 |
Succeeded by Doug Jones (D) |
Preceded by Troy King (R) |
Alabama Attorney General 2011-2017 |
Succeeded by Steve Marshall (R) |