WASHINGTON _ Donald Trump's decision to nominate Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general has the state's politicians eyeing their next moves.
Sessions' selection wasn't unexpected. As one of Trump's earliest and most vocal defenders on Capitol Hill, Sessions had long been mentioned as a top pick for various Cabinet positions. That speculation set off plenty of angling among the state's politicos before Friday's announcement.
Longtime Rep. Robert B. Aderholt had already asked Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint him to fill the junior senator's seat before Sessions was officially tapped on Friday. An interim senator would hold the seat until a special election either in 2017 or during the 2018 elections.
"Having spent 20 years here, I feel like I at least understand how the structure works up here and I would be someone who could hit the ground running," Aderholt told the Montgomery Advertiser on Thursday.
Aderholt isn't the only member of the delegation whose name has been floated. Bentley was scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., Friday to meet with the delegation.
Rep. Martha Roby was quick to congratulate Sessions on his selection in a video post on Twitter Friday morning. The three-term congresswoman withdrew her support of Trump as the GOP presidential nominee after the release of the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tapes.
Her opposition to Trump earned her a significant write-in challenge last week. In a state where every GOP representative won re-election by at least 30 points, Roby only won by 9 points, deepening speculation that she'll face another primary in 2018.
Rep. Mo Brooks has said he'd be interested, while Rep. Bradley Byrne told the Montgomery Advertiser he is not interested in seeking the Senate seat.
GOP operatives also cite Attorney General Luther Strange as a potential candidate, but he's currently investigating the governor, which could prove awkward if he wants Bentley to appoint him to Sessions' seat.
Jim Byard Jr., director of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, is also in the mix. Bentley named him to the post, which is part of his cabinet, in 2011.
