City of Enterprise issues a proclamation honoring Richard Shelby

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Richard Shelby

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby was in Enterprise last Thursday, where the City awarded him a proclamation honoring him for his 36 years of service to the state in the Senate.

“Grateful to the City of Enterprise and Mayor [William] Cooper for the proclamation regarding my career in public service,” Shelby said on Twitter. “I’ve had the pleasure of representing the people of Enterprise in the Senate for the last 36 years. Thank you, Enterprise, for allowing me that high honor.”

Shelby is retiring at the end of this year after six terms in the Senate. He is the Ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Appropriations committee, which he chaired until Republicans lost control of the Senate in 2021.

Despite his pending retirement, Shelby is still very engaged in national affairs.

“Since President [Joe] Biden took office in January 2021, inflation has risen 13.5%,” Shelby said on Twitter. “Democrats are clearly in over their heads and unable to bring down costs. The American people are tired of overpaying for gas, groceries, utility bills, etc. It’s unaffordable and unacceptable.”

Shelby defeated incumbent Republican Senator Jeremiah Denton in 1986 to win the office as a Democrat. Shelby never really had a close election after that first election, easily besting five general election opponents in the years since. In 1994 Shelby switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Shelby has been credited with landing federal dollars for projects across the state over the years.

“There is not a city or county in Alabama that has not benefitted from Senator Shelby’s seniority and power,” political columnist former State Rep. Steve Flowers wrote recently. “Every major university has received additional federal dollars for development and new buildings. He has literally transformed the University of Alabama. An entire section of the massive campus has a cadre of buildings, mostly science, technology, and engineering that are or should be named for him because he brought the money from Washington to pay for them.

Shelby had sixteen years of public service prior to his Senate service. From 1970 to 1978, he represented Tuscaloosa in the Alabama Senate. From 1978 to 1986, he represented Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Shelby has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Katie Britt is the presumptive heir apparent to Shelby’s seat in the Senate. The Republican nominee served an internship in Shelby’s office, where she eventually worked her way up to chief of staff after obtaining he law degree. Shelby has endorsed Britt, who won the Republican nomination after a hard-fought primary fight against Congressman Mo Brooks and veteran and millionaire defense contractor Mike Durant. Britt still faces voters in the November 8 general election, where she faces Democratic nominee Dr. Will Boyd and Libertarian nominee John Sophocleus.

Even though the Senate is divided 50:50 between Republicans and Democrats (including two independents who caucus with the Democrats) the open Senate seat has not become a national battleground. Both of Britt’s opponents have been unable to raise money, either in Alabama or nationally. Virtually all indications are that Shelby’s seat will remain in Republican hands.

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