Richard C. Shelby served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1987 to 2023. Initially elected as a Democrat in 1986, he switched to the Republican Party in 1994. Shelby was the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Alabama's history, holding several key committee positions, including Chairman of the Appropriations Committee from 2018 to 2021. Prior to his Senate career, Shelby served in the U.S. House of Representatives and in various legal and political roles in Alabama. He retired in 2023 and was succeeded by Katie Britt.
