GOP’s Byrne announces senate bid against Doug Jones in 2020

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Republican Congressman Bradley Byrne of Alabama announced Wednesday that he will challenge U.S. Sen. Doug Jones in 2020 as the GOP tries to reclaim the high-profile seat previously held by Jeff Sessions.

Byrne, 64, is the first Republican to announce his candidacy in what is expected to be a crowded primary field seeking to unseat Jones, the first Democrat elected to the seat in a quarter century.

“I want a U.S. senator who will fight for you and me,” Byrne said in making his announcement before supporters in the south Alabama city of Mobile. He used his speech to express support for a border wall, gun rights and to also voice his opposition to abortion.

The primary is to be held March 3, 2020.

Jones’ campaign issued a statement calling Byrne a “career politician.”

“It doesn’t matter if Senator Jones has 1 opponent or 100. His focus is working for the people of Alabama whether it’s protecting our auto jobs and farmers against dangerous tariffs or building health care infrastructure in Alabama’s rural communities,” the Democrat’s campaign statement said.

Jones, a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing, is the lone Democrat currently holding statewide office in Alabama.