Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange says he will seek the U.S. Senate seat left open if incumbent Jeff Sessions is confirmed to be attorney general under president-elect Donald Trump.
Gov. Robert Bentley would appoint Sessions' interim replacement until there's an election to fill the rest of the term. That election would be held next year or in 2018.
Strange issued a statement Tuesday saying he will be a candidate for the position and already has filed the necessary paperwork with federal election officials.
Strange becomes the first person to announce for the seat. He had been considering a run for governor before Trump tapped Sessions as his attorney general.