Alabama’s Richard Shelby Gets a Primary Challenge

rollcall.com ^ | 11/6/15 | Simone Pathé

[cotton1706]

Alabama Sen. Richard C. Shelby may finally have some use for the $19 million in his campaign account.

Filing just before the deadline, Iraq War veteran Jonathan McConnell announced on Friday that he would challenge the five-term Republican senator in a primary.

“Washington is broken. But instead of leaders who are focused on solving the problem, our politicians are focused on profiting from the work we send them to do in Washington,” McConnell said in a statement Friday.

McConnell founded Meridian.us, a global maritime security company, which according to McConnell’s campaign, “combats the Somali Piracy threat against merchant vessels.” He reportedly started the company after the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama container ship in the Indian Ocean, which inspired the film “Captain Phillips.”

According to the Alabama Republican Party, McConnell won’t be Shelby’s only primary opponent. Former state Sen. Shadrack McGill filed Friday and John Martin filed Thursday.

Shelby, who is 81, confirmed to CQ Roll Call earlier this year that he is running for re-election. He reiterated those intentions Friday.

“I am running for the United States Senate because I’m not done fighting for Alabama,” Shelby told CQ Roll Call in a statement. “My unmatched record of proven, conservative leadership puts me in the best position to stand up for Alabamians against big government policies in Washington. I have always and will continue to put Alabamians first.”

Because the state is so red, whoever wins the March 1 primary will likely hold the seat. But given the resources at Shelby’s disposal, unseating him will be a tall order

[cotton1706]

While Shelby is for the most part, one of the good guys, he was elected as a democrat and is 81 years old. Call it a day, Senator!

Shelby (AL) - 2016 - 86% (Average) - 66% (CReview) - 99% (Heritage) - 76% (CFG) - 88% (ACU) - 100% (FreedomWorks)

[rrrod]

Need new blood

[boycott]

Shelby has a very consistent conservative voting record. He has earned my trust. I will go with that if Senator Shelby runs again.

I know nothing about this other candidate.

[fortheDeclaration]

These guys think they own the seat!

[boycott]

Need new blood

—

That hasn’t always worked out so well.

[gov_bean_ counter]

he ran one of the nastiest campaigns I have ever seen against Jeremiah Denton , a true American hero

[Paladin2]

Shelby has his own County in Ala.

[Fai Mao]

[Shelby has his own County in Ala.]

:}

That’s OK Obama has his own bath house in Chicago

[rrrod]

LOL yep you are correcto!

[Kenny]

Um, that would make him 87 if you re-elect him. Don’t you think someone else might do a good job and stay cognizant?

[kabar]

Shelby has an ACU lifetime rating of 76.78 compared to 94.33 for Sessions. NumbersUSA gives Shelby a career immigration rating of A.

[Qwackertoo]

I prefer Sessions to Shelby. And while yes Shelby was a D before he was an R . . . he’s 81 . . . time to retire Mr. Shelby.

[blam]

Shelby is a Democrat converted to Republican.

Calling him a RINO is being generous.

I'll vote for someone else.

[RatRipper]

He has voted conservative, but he is a snake. I know the Credit Union crowd owns him. He is also a converted Rat. Given a good, verifiable conservative, I’ll vote against him.

[stratboy]

A bird in the hand beats 2 Ayottes in the bush. I have to agree with you he might not be the best, but you could end up with a Kelly Ayotte or some other backstabber who ran as a conservative

[parksstp]

hehe...the guy’s last name is McConnell

[boycott]

He is also a converted Rat.

---

So was Reagan.

Shelby left the democrat party because they left him. Democrats used to be the conservative party in the south.

[Jemian]

I will vote for McConnell. Shelby has been in for a long time. He became a republican just after the ‘94 election when he realized that he’d be in the minority party in the Senate. His support of conservative causes has been tepid at best. He’s conservative only reluctantly because he knows if he weren’t he’d be ousted.

I don’t trust him. I never have.

I’ll be voting more against Shelby than for McConnell. Unless McConnell is pro-abort. In which case, I won’t vote.

[Jemian]

Ping to the state list.

Hey! I know I miss a lot of the articles I should ping y’all to. I am sorry. I took this job because no one else volunteered. If someone else would like this responsibility, let me know. Please!

[iowamark]

Yes, he has a very unfortunate name.