In the wake of the news of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby’s retirement, which will take place at the end of his term in 2022, politicians from all levels of Alabama government reacted to the news.

This includes Chairman of the Alabama GOP Terry Lathan. Lathan issued the following statements regarding Shelby’s decision and spoke about his commitment to the people of Alabama.

“Alabama has truly been blessed to have U.S. Senator Richard Shelby representing our state in Congress for the last 42 years. He has always fought for what is best for his constituents – from expanding economic opportunities to advancing education and research,” Lathan said.

“On behalf of the Alabama Republican Party, I offer my gratitude for his many years of public service and we look forward to seeing what Senator Shelby accomplishes on behalf of our great state in the remaining two years of his term. We have no doubt he will continue to work on our behalf at a nonstop pace as he always has.

“Richard Shelby’s name will be repeated for generations to come when speaking of his deep devotion to Alabama and the massive work he accomplished for our state. We also are thankful for his great supporter and wife of sixty years, Dr. Annette Shelby, who has been a profoundly loyal partner for Alabama by his side.”