Chris Elliott: Reed confirmed stepping down as pro tem – Livingston, Gudger main contenders for successor

State Sen. Chris Elliott publicly confirmed news Friday morning about Alabama Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed’s exit from the higher chamber’s top role and an impending vote by members of the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus to select its next pro tem and potentially majority leader.

Elliott addressed the choice he and colleagues will soon make on FM Talk 1065’s “The Jeff Poor Show” after confirming State Sen. Reed (R-Jasper) had given him word about his decision.

“I have talked with Senator Reed. He has confirmed that he is stepping down as pro tem and is taking another position. So, that will leave not only a Senate seat open but also the very important spot of pro tem,” Elliott (R-Josephine) said.

“This is a really big deal, and it’s going to be a big deal for most senators who are currently in office. This is likely to be the pro tem for the balance of our time in the Senate. If you look at how long senators usually serve most of the body, this will be the guy for the rest of the time. So, it’s a very big deal.”

Elliott described the state of play that has been speculated in the time since Yellowhammer News reported on Reed’s unconfirmed decision to step down as Senate President Pro Tempore and resign his seat representing the Jasper region in the Alabama Senate.

“I think the race is clearly between Senator Garlan Gudger from Cullman and the current Majority Leader, Senator Steve Livingston. We’ll have to see. We are scheduled — and have been scheduled — to have a caucus meeting next week in Birmingham,” Elliott said. “That will be the topic of conversation, I’m confident, and we’ll see how all that turns out.”

“The choice here, in my mind, is between kind of the tried and true, the same thing we have been doing, or frankly, a younger generation stepping up and taking control over the legislative body, the Senate, and I think that’s a very big deal.”

Also according to State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) in an interview Friday morning on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” the internal caucus movement on the next pro tem and potentially majority leader has already began.

“It’s certainly been circulating for quite some time now regarding [State Sen. Greg Reed] moving out of the Senate and leaving that void in the pro tem position. As far as who’s running or not, until we hear from Greg Reed himself and addressing the caucus, we got to be sure there’s a vacancy first, and then move accordingly,” Orr said.

“I’m sure there’ll be people running and for that position. I’ve had calls already from senators, but we’ll see what the landscape looks like and and what’s best for the Senate, and then go forward.”

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270