In recent days, there has been rampant speculation that former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could enter the contest for his old seat. Sessions held the seat currently occupied by Jones from 1997 through 2017. He gave up that seat to serve in the Trump administration until his unceremonious exit in late 2018.

If Sessions were to enter the race for the Republican Party’s nomination, he would be joining a crowded field that includes former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R) and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Late last month, Tuberville secured front-runner status by receiving the endorsement of the influential Alabama Farmers Federation. At the time and to this day, publicly available polling has shown Tuberville with a substantial lead over the rest of the field.

One poll leaked to the media last week showed Tuberville with a 21-point lead over second-place Roy Moore.