The three-way contest to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) took a dramatic turn this week as former President Donald Trump publicly expressed discontent with U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), who once led the field by a significant margin.
The former president lamented Brooks’ comments made during last year’s rally in Cullman, where he encouraged the Trump faithful to “look forward” to future elections rather than dwell on the 2020 presidential election loss. Also drawing the ire of Trump was Brooks’ recent polling numbers, which showed that the five-term congressman had dropped to third-place in his bid to become Alabama’s next junior senator.
Due to those reasons, outlined by Trump in a recent interview with Washington Examiner, the 45th president could consider rescinding his endorsement of Brooks.
According to the McLaughlin & Associates poll, first reported by Yellowhammer News, U.S. Army veteran Mike Durant and former Business Council of Alabama CEO Katie Britt are running neck-and-neck to claim frontrunner status. Durant, who at his entry into the race was polling in third-place, has surged to the top of the GOP primary field.
While already enjoying a lead in the fundraising battle, Britt is reportedly poised to benefit from a substantial injection of cash into the race to a super PAC supporting her candidacy.
Politico on Friday reported comments made by Shelby in an interview the outlet conducted with the longtime senator, during which he laid out his intention of financially backing Britt’s candidacy.
Speaking on the more than $15 million Shelby holds in combined funds from his leadership PAC and campaign account, the senator advised that he would direct as much as $6 million to a super PAC for his former chief-of-staff’s benefit.
“I’m going to give it all away sooner or later. I’m going to help her, transfer it to a super PAC,” said Shelby, according to Politico.
Noting that “she’ll need help,” Shelby added that Britt is “doing well right now. Mo Brooks is dropping, you see that.”
While Shelby gave no indication as to which PAC he would transfer the funds to or when he would unload his war chest, the infusion of cash could dramatically boost Britt’s visibility to the Republican primary voter leading up to the May 24 primary election.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
