Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill will announce on Tuesday whether he will run for the U.S. Senate next year.
Merrill had previously said he would make an announcement before the end of June whether he will seek the Republican nomination for the seat held by Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat.
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne of Fairhope, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, state Rep. Arnold Mooney of Shelby County, and businessman Stanley Adair of Haleyville have all said they are seeking the Republican nomination. The primary will be March 3.
Jones, who defeated Moore in a special election in 2017, is running to keep the seat.
Merrill has notified the Federal Election Commission about the formation of a fundraising committee for the Senate campaign.
Merrill represented a Tuscaloosa district in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014 before winning the secretary of state’s office in 2014. Voters elected him to a second four-year term last year.
Merrill scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol.