U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, is retiring from the U.S. Senate when the 118th Congress is sworn into office on Jan. 3.
Shelby, 88, was recently asked how Alabamians should remember Richard Shelby.
“I think that is up for the people to decide that,” said Shelby. “You’re evaluated on what you’ve done and haven’t done. We don’t evaluate ourselves in politics. Some of the history books may evaluate you.”
Asked what his proudest moment was, he also said, “That’s up for the history books.”
Those books have yet to be written. But plenty of politicians, public officials, and others have plenty to say about Shelby. Here are what they are saying:
“Richard Shelby has been one of the Senate’s most authoritative and formidable members for many years now. He is direct. He is confident. He has been remarkably successful at getting results. And Alabama and our entire country have benefitted immeasurably from his remarkable leadership.”—U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
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“Very fortunate for me he was here when I got here. I spent a lot of time with him. He spent a lot of time talking about the Senate, and how it’s changed and what you have to do to be effective. With me (being an) Auburn guy and (Shelby) an Alabama guy, we talked football, too. He doesn’t come down here because I paint my office blue. His is crimson and I don’t see his either (chuckles). He’s been huge for the entire state. When it came down to a big vote, we’d sit down and talk about it. I’d learn from sitting down and talking to him about it. I don’t care if you’re a 25-year career lawyer, when you come (to the Senate), you start from scratch. You might know a little more about the Constitution. But just knowing it and representing the people, that’s what he’s done.” -U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama
“Senator Richard Shelby has been a fine legislator and a true Southern gentleman. His colleagues and constituents know him for his long record of championing economic development and a strong military as a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee. I wish him and Annette well as he starts this next chapter.”—U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi
“Richard Shelby certainly was one of the greatest senators Alabama has ever had. He played a critically important role in protecting and advancing Alabama’s interests all the while effectively reflecting the values of the state. He was a leader on a host of issues and never forget where he came from and the people he represented. He continually served on the Senate Appropriations Committee and eventually became the chairman. Many consider the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee the most powerful position in the Senate. He was very effective in dealing with other members of the committee to accommodate their needs while taking care of Alabama’s needs. My respect for him continued to grow over the years, and our relationship, I think, increased.—Former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator from Alabama, Jeff Sessions
“He was a serious senator, and he did serious things, but we had a lot of fun too. I always appreciated that and never took himself seriously. He took the job seriously and the issues seriously bit he never took himself seriously. He is a very decent guy. He treats everyone with respect. I developed a very good friendship with him, and through the course of that, I learned a lot from him as well. I am glad he will finally get some rest and enjoy life. This Senate will miss him. Dick Shelby has been a senator who had perspective and balance. In today’s Congress, we don’t have a lot of that. We have either a rapid Republican or a rapid Democrat and compromise is a dirty word, and the other party member is your enemy. In my opinion, that is just wrong. Yes, Dick Shelby is a republican. He voted like a conservative Republican. But he didn’t let that get in the way of relationship building with the other party. That’s the right way to do public service and it’s the right way to be a member of Congress.” former U.S. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and former U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Barack Obama
“Shelby has been such a role model for all of us. He’s one of the most misunderstood people in politics. He certainly is one of the most powerful people in politics. There are few things in the district that Richard Shelby doesn’t have his fingerprints on. Would you love to be able to, when you are dead and gone, to look back and say there is one thing you had your fingerprints on that was successful? But he has had thousands of things he can look at. He doesn’t flaunt his power here. He’s very much a one-on-one person and understands the system better than everyone.“—U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Mobile
“Frankly, I think if you look around at the business success we’ve had in Alabama, I think you can tie it directly back to Richard Shelby. If you look at the growth in Huntsville, and in Mobile in particular, those (cities) are built primarily on federal dollars. That’s been his focus, on economic development in Alabama and expanding businesses and he’s extraordinarily successful and he’s tenacious on this. He’s a dealmaker. So much of that is missing in the Congress today. To his core, he was a dealmaker and understood that people had (priorities) in their states as well. He was able to work on that in a really bipartisan way on those issues.”—former Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Senator Shelby will go down in history and will be remembered as the most consequential political figure in Alabama’s modern history, and maybe ever. His fingerprints are certainly all over the ever-changing landscape of South Alabama. He’s been Appropriations chair and Banking chair and he’s been chair of the (Senate Intelligence) committee. More than just chairing committees, one of Richard Shelby’s hallmarks is he treats people the way he wants to be treated. When we were in the majority, he’d treat Democratic colleagues with respect and help them out. When we were in minority, they would remember. You’d never see Shelby go on the Senate floor and get personal. He avoided some of the nightly talk shows a lot of people make their names on being a firebrand and calling the person in the other party an ugly name. It might make you a hometown hero with a local Republican or Democrat political activist depending on which party you are in, but it does nothing to build a relationship.”—Jo Bonner, president of the University of South Alabama and a former Republican U.S. House member from Mobile
“Senator Shelby has been a leader, no doubt. From his service here in Alabama to his long tenure in Washington, D.C., he has been instrumental in giving Alabama a seat at the table and has truly been part of transforming our state through the years. The Rebuild Alabama Act, which we passed here in Alabama in 2019, has an important component which funds the deepening and widening of the Port of Mobile. Senator Shelby has also been a champion for growth at the Port. Senator Shelby certainly leaves large shoes to fill, but our new Senator-Elect Katie Britt is the right woman for the job. I am so thrilled for Senator Shelby and his wife Anne as they enter this next chapter.”—Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey
“Senator Richard Shelby was one of those rare individuals who was bigger than life in his leadership of Alabama. For the past 30 years, Shelby provided jobs for Alabama and an economy that would be relevant for decades to come, just as he provided the most advanced protection for our country. Senator Shelby balanced his advocacy for the people back home with his support for our nation and global partners. He was in a league and a class of his own.”—Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle
“It is hard to find words that do justice to Senator Shelby’s impact on the City of Mobile’s present and its future. Some might say Senator Shelby is the visionary behind Mobile’s modern-day economy. The Port of Mobile has driven our economy for over a century, and thanks to Senator Shelby, we have extended the life of this economic engine for another 100 years. We will soon be able to fully maximize the Port’s utility thanks to the development of the Mobile International Airport — a project that would never have been possible with Senator Shelby’s consistent support. In every decade of his service, Senator Shelby has always looked out for the best interests of Alabama and Alabamians. He has also consistently been one of Mobile and South Alabama’s biggest cheerleaders at the federal level. We will miss his leadership in Washington, but we will also continue building on the momentum he created during his time in office.”—Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson
“For the past 17 years, Senator Shelby has been a mentor and friend. More importantly, Senator Shelby has always been there for Tuscaloosa. From the downtown revitalization to the development of our riverfront, Senator Shelby has played the leading role in securing critical federal investments. Senator Shelby fought for Tuscaloosa during our darkest hours following April 27, 2011, tornado. Thanks to his leadership, we secured tens of millions in federal funding to rebuild Tuscaloosa which was not easy because Alabama is not a swing state in a presidential election.”—Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox
“Senator Shelby made dreams into realities across Alabama. His focus on Alabama certainly had a huge impact on the state’s infrastructure of all kinds. Senator Shelby focused his efforts on projects and infrastructure that uplifted not only the areas where they were located, but the entire state. The expansion and improvements at the Port of Mobile and the FBI facilities on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville are just two of the many significant projects and facilities that will create jobs and economic opportunities for Alabamians for generations to come. Senator Shelby has been a tireless leader and job creator for Alabama through his service on all of the committees he led through his time of service. His leadership role on the Senate Appropriations committee provided an opportunity to support worthwhile projects that will sustain the state’s economy.”—Robin Stone, interim executive director of the Business Council of Alabama
“I think he was overall a good representative for the state of Alabama. He was respected by both Republicans and Democrats. His stance on a lot of things was always well thought out and articulated and expressed what the issues were. He could bring people together on particular causes and move forward on solutions.”—Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education
“Senator Shelby’s service is remarkable, and, during his time in office, he has been an advocate and a friend to the University of North Alabama as well as to the region he represents. His support of UNA in STEM-related programming for a number of our academic disciplines in order to prepare our graduates for the workforce has been welcome and appreciated. It has long been a pleasure to work with him at the federal level.”—Ken Kitts, president at the University of North Alabama
“Richard Shelby is an outstanding statesman and advocate for the State of Alabama, and Troy University benefited from his service and leadership. He played a key role in helping Troy secure major grants from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish our Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences. These have been transformational grants for Troy, moving us to a position of identifying solutions to many problems facing the recycling industry. As a result of Senator Shelby’s leadership, we are close to becoming a leading research center for plastics and plastic recycling.”—Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr.
“Senator Shelby has been a larger-than-life figure in Alabama politics for more than three decades. His impact and effectiveness as a U.S. Senator are without question, and his legacy will live on for decades to come. The Republican Party appreciates his commitment to public service and the people of Alabama. We extend our best wishes to Senator and Dr. Shelby on this next chapter in their lives.”—Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl
“It goes without saying that this installation would not be what it is today without Senator Shelby’s never-ending commitment. Senator Shelby’s advocacy and stalwart support was instrumental to Redstone Arsenal developing into a Federal Center of Excellence, with more than 70 organizations that have unique and critical mission sets in our nation’s security and defense.”—Maj. Gen. Walt Duzzny, chief of staff at Army Materiel Command, which also serves as the Senior Command on the installation, at a Nov. 21 ribbon cutting for the new FBI facility at Redstone Arsenal
“Senator Shelby is Alabama’s greatest statesman, and he has built an unparalleled legacy of service and strategic growth that will benefit Alabamians for generations to come. He has been a champion for our national defense and achieving peace through strength. From the Port of Mobile and our state’s research universities to Redstone Arsenal and rural infrastructure initiatives, Senator Shelby has spearheaded visionary investments in projects that strengthen every corner of Alabama and grow opportunity for local families and communities. There is no doubt that Alabama is immeasurably better as a result of his service. His lasting impact will reverberate long into Alabama’s future.”—U.S. Senator-elect Katie Britt of Alabama, the former president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama and Shelby’s chief of staff from 2016-2018.