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Ivey last week
replaced fellow Republican Robert Bentley as governor after he
resigned amid impeachment proceedings in the legislature.
Bentley had appointed Republican Luther Strange in February to
fill the seat Sessions held before joining President Donald
Trump's cabinet. Citing concerns about the cost of a special
election, Bentley opted to wait until the 2018 general election
for voters to elect Sessions' replacement.
The state's new governor said Alabama law required a speedier
timetable. The primary election will now be held on Aug. 15 and
the general vote will be on Dec. 12, Ivey's office said.
“I promised to steady our ship of state. This means following
the law, which clearly states the people should vote for a
replacement U.S. senator as soon as possible,” Ivey said in an
emailed statement.
"Following the law trumps the expense of a special election,"
she said.
Strange, who was previously Alabama's attorney general, said he
would have run for the Senate seat even if he had not been
appointed by Bentley.
“As I’ve said for months, I’m a candidate and I’m ready to run
whether the election is next month or next year," Strange said
in an emailed statement.
The new date pleased Alabama Auditor Jim Zeigler, a Republican
who filed suit against Bentley last month seeking to force a
quicker special election.
Zeigler told Reuters he considered Bentley's appointment of
Strange "questionable." As Alabama's attorney general, Strange
in November had put a hold on the state legislature's
impeachment proceedings against Bentley.
"We need a people-elected senator, not a senator appointed by a
failed, disgraced former governor," Zeigler said.
In his statement, Strange said he agreed that the people of
Alabama should decide who represents them in the U.S. Senate.
In an interview with local media last week, after Bentley
resigned, Strange said he had asked the legislature to put the
impeachment process on hold last November before the
presidential election because his office was conducting an
investigation of Bentley similar to the legislators' efforts.
(Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler)
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