Byrne speaks with Sessions, receives no indication the former senator is running for his old seat

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) has spoken with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions twice recently, with Byrne providing updates on his travels around the state in preparation for an expected 2020 U.S. Senate campaign.

A spokesman for Byrne outlined, “Congressman Byrne has spoken with Jeff Sessions twice in the last few weeks. The calls were primarily just to check in, as they have been friends for years. Congressman Byrne told Senator Sessions he was continuing to get around the state to discuss running for Senate in 2020, but that was the extent of their conversation regarding the Senate race, to my knowledge.”

During a two-day stop in the Huntsville area for Byrne, where he was visiting north Alabamians about that upcoming Senate race, the congressman spoke with Alabama Media Group’s Paul Gattis.

Gattis tweeted that Byrne said Sessions gave no indication that he is running to reclaim his former seat.

“If he had told me something in the conversation that would change my mind, I would change my mind. I haven’t changed my mind,” Byrne told Gattis.

Byrne, out of all of the potential major candidates for the Republican nomination in 2020, has been publicly working the most in this precursory stage, traveling the state to speak with conservative activists, local business leaders and civic organizations to gauge and build support.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn