Luther Strange
Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator fromAlabama
In office February 9, 2017 – January 3, 2018
Appointed by	Robert Bentley
Preceded by	Jeff Sessions
Succeeded by	Doug Jones
47thAttorney General of Alabama
In office January 17, 2011 – February 9, 2017
Governor	Robert Bentley
Preceded by	Troy King
Succeeded by	Steve Marshall
Personal details
Born	Luther Johnson Strange III (1953-03-01)March 1, 1953 (age 72) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Melissa Strange
Children	2
Education	Tulane University (BA,JD)
Signature
Strange's voice Strange's delivering his Senate farewell address. Recorded December 7, 2017

Luther Johnson Strange III (born March 1, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served as aUnited States Senator fromAlabama from 2017 to 2018. He was appointed to fill that position after it was vacated byJeff Sessions upon Sessions's confirmation asU.S. Attorney General.

He previously served as the 47thAttorney General of theU.S. state ofAlabama from 2011 until 2017.^[1] Strange was a candidate for public office in 2006, 2010 and 2014.^[2][3] In 2006, Strange ran forLieutenant Governor of Alabama and defeatedGeorge Wallace Jr. in the Republican primary. Strange then lost the general election to DemocratJim Folsom Jr. In 2010, Strange defeated incumbent Attorney GeneralTroy King in the Republican primary, before going on to win the general election against Democrat James Anderson.^[4]

After PresidentDonald Trump appointed U.S. SenatorJeff Sessions from Alabama to the office ofUnited States Attorney General in February 2017, GovernorRobert J. Bentley appointed Strange to fill the vacancy.^[5] He ran to finish the term in thesubsequent special election and advanced to the Republican primary runoff, in which he lost to former state judgeRoy Moore.^[6] On December 12, Democratic nominee and former U.S. attorneyDoug Jones was elected as his successor, defeating Moore in the special election.

Luther Strange was born inBirmingham, Alabama, and lived inSylacauga until the age of six, when his family moved toHomewood. Strange graduated fromShades Valley High School in 1971. He received his undergraduate degree fromTulane University. He then graduated fromTulane University Law School. Strange was admitted to theAlabama State Bar in 1981.^[7]

Strange's first job after graduating law school was at Sonat Offshore, a subsidiary of Sonat Inc., anatural gas utility based in Birmingham, Alabama; he joined the company in 1980 as a lawyer. In 1985, Strange became head of Sonat'sWashington, D.C. office. He left the company in 1994. In the 1980s and 1990s, Strange was a registered lobbyist in Washington for Sonat andTransocean Offshore Drilling Co.^[8]

Prior to being elected Attorney General, Strange was the founder of the law firm Strange LLC, aBirmingham, Alabama-based law firm. Before establishing his own law firm, Strange was a partner withBradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.^[1]

As Alabama Attorney General, Strange sued the federal government several times, over such issues as aUnited States Department of Justice andUnited States Department of Education directive on the treatment oftransgender students^[9] and changes in theU.S. Department of the Interior's calculation ofGulf of Mexico offshore drilling royalties.^[10] Strange also joined a suit brought by some states against the federal government that challenged theObama administration'sClean Power Plan.^[11] Along with other Republicanstate attorneys general, Strange "came to the defense ofExxonMobil when it fell under investigation by attorneys general from states seeking information about whether the oil giant failed to disclose material information aboutclimate change" (seeExxonMobil climate change controversy).^[12]

Strange is an opponent ofsame-sex marriage. He expressed disagreement with theU.S. Supreme Court's ruling inObergefell v. Hodges which found aconstitutional right to same-sex marriage.^[13][14]

His tenure in office included the conviction and removal from office of the Alabama House SpeakerMike Hubbard in June 2016. However, Strange recused himself from that case, appointing Van Davis as Acting Attorney General to oversee it.^[15]

As attorney general, Strange was the coordinating counsel for the Gulf Coast states in thelitigation on theDeepwater Horizon oil spill.^[11]

In April 2014, Strangeargued before the U.S. Supreme Court inLane v. Franks. The case involved a whistleblower who reported corruption within the Alabama community college system. This was Strange's first argument before the Court.^[16][17]

In March 2014, Strange brought Alabama into a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney GeneralChris Koster against California's egg production standards as embodied in itsProposition 2 in 2008. In October 2014, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, rejecting the states' challenge to Proposition 2, California's prohibition on the sale of eggs laid by caged hens kept in conditions more restrictive than those approved by California voters in a 2008 ballot initiative. Judge Kimberly Mueller ruled that Alabama and the other states lacked legal standing to sue on behalf of their residents and that the plaintiffs were representing solely the interests of egg farmers, not "a substantial statement of their populations."^[18]

Strange served as chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2016 and 2017.

The announced nomination of SenatorJeff Sessions asUnited States Attorney General in November 2016 created an opening for a U.S. Senate seat that Governor Bentley would fill by appointment upon Sessions' confirmation. Many aspirants publicly declared their interest in the appointive Senate seat, and in running for it even if not selected by Bentley.^[19]

Strange revealed his intention to seek the Senate seat toFred Barnes of theWeekly Standard on November 22, 2016, regardless of whether he was appointed by Bentley, calling a run "the right thing for me to do."^[20] Strange filed paperwork for the potential special election one week later and made a public announcement of his candidacy on December 6. "The voters will make the ultimate decision about who will represent them, and I look forward to making my case to the people of Alabama in the months to come as to why they can trust me to keep protecting and fighting for our conservative values."^[21] In January, the new Strange for Senate federal campaign committee reported raising more than $309,000 in the few weeks leading to the December 31 filing deadline.^[22]

Bentley began interviewing candidates for the Senate appointment in mid-December.^[23][24] On December 22, theMontgomery Advertiser reported a complete list of Alabamians who had been interviewed over a two-week period for the Senate seat (based on information released by the Governor's office). They included: Chief JusticeRoy Moore, RepresentativeMo Brooks (R-Huntsville), and the following state legislators and justices: Senate President Pro TemporeDel Marsh (R-Anniston), SenatorArthur Orr (R-Decatur), SenatorCam Ward (R-Alabaster), SenatorBill Hightower (R-Mobile), SenatorTrip Pittman (R-Montrose), Alabama House Ways and Means Education Chairman and RepresentativeBill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), Associate JusticeGlenn Murdock, RepresentativeConnie Rowe (R-Jasper), former RepresentativePerry Hooper of Montgomery (also Trump 2016 Chair in Alabama).^[25]

Strange was not interviewed until the following week, along with U.S. RepresentativeMartha Roby, RepresentativeGary Palmer,Tim James (son of former GovernorFob James), state SenatorGreg Reed (R-Jasper), and state SenatorPhil Williams (R-Rainbow City).^[26] Three additional persons interviewed before January 6 were RepresentativeRobert Aderholt, Revenue CommissionerJulie P. Magee, and Department of Economic and Community Affairs DirectorJim Byard. The total number of interviews was 20 (which represented the limit the Governor would go).^[27]

In January 2017, Governor Bentley announced the special election for the remainder of Sessions' term would not take place until 2018, giving the prospective new appointee a year of incumbency;^[27] the election was ultimately held in December 2017. On February 2, Governor Bentley named six finalists for the appointment. The list included U.S. RepresentativeRobert Aderholt, Senate President pro temporeDel Marsh, Attorney General Strange; Bentley ACEA appointeeJim Byard, state RepresentativeConnie Rowe, and former state RepresentativePerry Hooper Jr.^[28]

Following the Sessions confirmation on February 8, 2017, Bentley announced Strange's appointment on February 9. "Let me tell you why I chose Luther Strange. I truly believe Luther has the qualifications and has the qualities that will serve our people well and serve this state well." Speaking with his wife Melissa by his side, Strange called the appointment "the honor of my life," while citing his efforts with other Republican attorneys general to stop environmental, educational and labor regulations put forward by former President Barack Obama's administration. "Now we have the chance to go on the offense," he said. "Jeff Sessions as attorney general is the first step in that process."^[29]

Strange's appointment was welcomed by fellow Republicans, such asArkansas Attorney GeneralLeslie Rutledge,^[30] andKarl Rove.^[31] Conservative activists, such asChris W. Cox of the NRA, also hailed the appointment.^[32]NPR Southern political analystDebbie Elliott said that Strange's conservative politics are "very much in the mold of Jeff Sessions." She noted that as state attorney general: "He's been very active in state-led fights against federal environmental regulations, against Obamacare, against transgender bathroom directives. He's fought for Alabama's strict abortion laws. He defended the state's controversial immigration law. A good bit of it was struck down by federal courts."^[33]

There was negative reaction from other Republicans who expressed concern about Strange's appointment. In early November 2016, prior to Election Day, he had requested that impeachment proceedings against Bentley be delayed.^[34] Some saw a link between this and Strange's appointment. "There's going to be such an air of conspiracy hanging over our state and our new senator," said state representativeEd Henry.^[35] "It's just one of those things where it appears there could have been collusion," said state representative Allen Farley.^[35] "The whole thing stinks," said State AuditorJim Zeigler. "It is outrageous. We have the potential forGov. Blagojevich situation."^[36]

This interpretation was disputed byMike Jones Jr., House Judiciary Committee Chairman, who said he believes the appointment was done in good faith. Jones noted that the hearings were stopped before the election and before the senate seat was available. "I made it clear in November when we were asked to pause that did not mean this would not finish, that there would come a time when we would conclude this investigation and we would have a hearing. I still say that."^[37] Jones and House SpeakerMac McCutcheon said February 9 they would wait for word from the attorney general's office before resuming the committee's work. McCutcheon said he wanted the process to play out.^[38]

Strange was quoted on February 9, 2017, as saying, "We have never said and I want to make this clear. We have never said in our office that we are investigating the governor. I think it's unfair to him and unfair to the process that it's been reported out there.^[39] We have six years of a record of the highest caliber of conduct of people in our Attorney General's office. That's why we don't comment on these things and why I don't plan to comment on that anymore."^[38] Governor Bentley later resigned after being indicted on criminal charges.

Strange was sworn in on February 9 bySenate President pro temporeOrrin Hatch, Strange was one of 22 senators to sign a letter^[40] to PresidentDonald Trump urging the President to have the United States withdraw from theParis Agreement.

• United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops (Chair)
• United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
  • Subcommittee on Seapower
• United States Senate Committee on the Budget
• United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power

Source:^[41]

Strange finished second to formerAlabama Supreme Court judgeRoy Moore. In the runoff on September 26, 2017, Moore again defeated Strange, 54.89% to 45.11%.^[42] Moore went on to lose the December 12 general election toDemocratic nomineeDoug Jones.

Strange was supportive of PresidentDonald Trump, saying that he wants "his agenda passed" and that he "couldn't be more honored" to be given Trump's endorsement.^[43] During Strange's tenure in the U.S. Senate, Strange voted in line with Donald Trump's stated position 91.1% of the time.^[44]

Strange has an A+ grade from theNational Rifle AssociationPolitical Victory Fund for his opposition towards banning firearms and magazines and his consistent rejection ofgun control efforts by theDemocratic Party.Chris W. Cox describes Strange as being a "champion for gun owners in Alabama and across the country."^[45]

Strange is married to Melissa Strange^[46] and resides inHomewood, Alabama.^[47]

At 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall, Strange is the tallest U.S. Senator in history to have served^[48] and was among the tallest members of Congress.^[49][50]

Strange is a member of theEpiscopal Church.

Strange holds a 16% share of Sunbelt EB-5 Regional Center, LLC, which helps broker deals between investors and U.S. projects that need capital. The company uses theEB-5 visa program which allows foreigners to earn permanent residency for themselves and their children, if they invest $500,000 or $1 million in an American business venture that creates at least 10 jobs. Strange earned over $150,000 for his role in helping a Birmingham Baptist hospital expansion.^[51]

In 2011, Strange was honored by theBoy Scouts of America as aDistinguished Eagle Scout.^[52][53]

• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at theFederal Election Commission
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