Filling Sessions’ Senate Seat

In a 52 to 47 vote, it was confirmed– Alabama’s U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions will be the next Attorney General.
But he’s leaving behind his longtime Senate seat.
Political analyst Steve Flowers says the governor will soon appoint someone else to serve the remainder of Session’s term.
But he says Alabama will be losing the seniority it held.
“We do lose Sessions in the Senate, so whoever receives the appointment from the governor to finish remaining two years of Jeff Sessions’ term will be ranked 100th in seniority. They will the lowest on the ladder. So it’s not a good swap for us politically, fortunately, again, we have Richard Shelby as a back up. He is Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, he’s easily one of the five most powerful members of the U.S. Senate,” said Flowers.

The Governor will make the decision on who will replace Sessions, and Flowers says it could be controversial.

“It looks a little bit suspicious and problematic because, as a political historian, I would have to record the history that we have a sitting Attorney General of Alabama, who has openly said he is investigating the Governor of Alabama for possible conflicts of laws. And he then is appointed to the U.S. Senate by that Governor and then the Governor also gets to appoint his replacement as Attorney General. Well, the appearance of that looks like allusion,” said Flowers.

The Governor is expected to announce Sessions’ replacement on Thursday.