Alabama Republican Sen. Richard C. Shelby has reportedly told colleagues that he would not run for re-election in 2022, much to the delight of Democrats and the consternation of his Republican colleagues.
Shelby is a fixture in the Senate; he is its fourth most senior member and it would have been his seventh term.
A spokesperson for Shelby said he has not made a decision and would likely do so within the next few weeks.
Now a conservative, he was elected in 1986 as a Democrat and switched to the Republican party in 1994.
Republicans are already lining up to replace Shelby if he does decide not to run; Rep. Mo Brooks may be interested if he survives the fallout of being involved in the January 6 rally that led to a riot.
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