Alabama Senate Republicans are in a rare and potentially contentious situation: A mid-term leadership contest between two popular members, Sens. Garlan Gudger of Cullman and Steve Livingston of Scottsboro.
The Dec. 3 Republican Caucus vote, necessary after Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, confirmed on Tuesday he’s leaving the Legislature, will have ripple effects through the body. The pro tem gets to manage committee assignments and is a key voice in deciding what issues and bills are priorities in legislative sessions.
The caucus met Tuesday in Birmingham where Reed officially stepped down. Members discussed the candidates but didn’t take a vote.
“I won’t say it’s a crisis, but we have a difficult circumstance before us,” Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, told ADN.
Alabama Daily News on Wednesday called the 26 GOP senators who will make this decision. Reed is expected not to vote, as is standard for outgoing senators.
Caucus meetings aren’t public and members didn’t want to discuss the details of the hours-long meeting or who they will support in the secret ballot vote. But some offered insights.
“It appears that we are split,” Albritton said. “It appears that if one of our fine gentlemen has a majority, it will be an extremely slim majority.”
Livingston is a third-term lawmaker who became the caucus’s majority leader, its No. 2 spot, when Clay Scofield left the body in late 2023. Gudger is in his second term and chairs the Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee.
There was speculation going into Tuesday’s meeting that the vote would happen that day. Now Senators face two more weeks of speculation, questions and lobbying.
Sen. Jay Hovey, R-Auburn, said the vote didn’t happen Tuesday because they ran out of time.
“I think to give the decision the respect and due process it deserves, there was nothing wrong with trying to make sure everyone was comfortable with how we were going to do it, who the candidates were and what they brought to the table.
“We’ve got two great guys who want to lead the Senate, I think both have put in significant effort to be involved, engaged and build relationships within the caucus,” Hovey said. “It’s two strong candidates who want to lead our body — that’s a good thing.”
While some are painting this contest as establishment versus new blood, Albritton said that’s not all of it.
“It has to deal with political views, it has to deal with growing constituencies, it has to deal with, frankly, ambitions and it has to deal with disagreements, personal and political,” he said.
The caucus meets again the week after Thanksgiving and is expected to vote. Several senators said the body will get through this decision and be a united group when the 2025 session starts on Feb. 4.
“I know that we’ll have a leader on Dec. 3 when we meet and vote and it’s either going to be Steve Livingston or Garlan Gudger, and whoever it is, we’ll get behind and work with,” said Sen. Josh Carnley, R-Ino. “Both of them have the heart to serve their district and the people of Alabama and love the Senate.
“… I just hope that whoever is on the prevailing side will work with everyone and whoever’s on the losing side will be a team player. Let’s all work together to keep moving forward with the initiatives we’ve got.”
Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, agreed, bluntly.
“Of course, everybody wants to win and feelings will be a little bit hurt regardless of who wins, but you move on and get over it,” Sessions said. “The state Senate is not a job for you if you’re too delicate and sensitive.”
While Democrats too will get to vote on the pro tem when the session begins, Republicans’ supermajority largely means that what they decide in caucus is what will happen in the full Senate.
“It will be someone who can be the pro tem of the entire Senate but still promote our agenda as the supermajority,” Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, said.
Caucus rules allow the majority leader to run for president pro tem without giving up his current leadership post. If Livingston wins, the caucus will select a new majority leader; if he loses he stays majority leader unless there is a successful motion to remove him.
“I would like to think that everybody involved is professional enough to move on once a decision is made,” Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, said.
Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, agreed.
“You’ll see the 27 members of the Republican Caucus united when that is filled,” he said. “I don’t see any controversy. This is just something that’s come up and we’ve got to handle it.”
Some said they don’t see a huge divide between supporters of Gudger and supporters of Livingston.
“Whenever we take the vote on pro tem, I’ve got no doubt that we’ll proceed together as a strong caucus just like we’ve been,” Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, said. “I have no reason to believe otherwise.”
Several lawmakers said they did close the nominations Tuesday, meaning no other names could be put forward now.
“I’m confident that the end result will be that we will work together for what is best for the state,” said Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road.
Reed plans to remain pro tem and in the Senate until Dec. 31. Once he resigns, Ivey can call a special election to fill the Senate seat. If it’s a contest with candidates from both parties, the seat may be empty for much of the 2025 session.