MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — Alabama Senate Majority Leader and District 9 Senator Clay Scofield announced he is resigning his Senate seat, effective at the close of business Monday.

In a letter addressed to his constituents in Blount, DeKalb, Madison and Marshall Counties, Scofield said he is resigning to take a position as the Executive Vice President of the Business Council of Alabama.

The senator began his letter by thanking his constituents for all of their support over the years.

“Thank you for taking a chance on a 30-year-old farm boy from Arab, AL. when you first elected me,” Scofield said. “Serving you as your State Senator for the past thirteen years has truly been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope that I have made you proud.”

He also highlighted some of his legislative accomplishments, such as improving Alabama’s financial situation.

“When first elected in 2010, Alabama was in terrible financial shape,” the senator said. “Our state was not only broke, it was broken.  With my colleagues and I focusing on common sense reforms such as the Rolling Reserve Act and exercising fiscal restraint, Alabama’s budgets are in much better shape.”

Scofield said the decision to resign was not an easy one for him.

“This decision was one of the hardest that I have ever had to make, and with any decision of this magnitude, I involved a lot of prayer as well as talking it over with family and friends,” he said. “If I didn’t love serving you, the decision would have been easy. It’s a dream job with an organization whose mission I strongly believe in.”

Scofield said his new job will allow him to continue his mission to make Alabama a more business-friendly state and to push for more pro-business candidates in state elections.

District 26 Representative Brock Colvin released a statement praising the work Scofield has done in the Senate, especially the support he has given Marshall County.

“Senator Clay Scofield has been an excellent public servant for District 9 and specifically Marshall County,” Colvin said. “The conservative reforms he has pushed, including the expansion of Broadband to rural residents and saving our state parks, have been unparalleled and have improved the lives of people right here at home. We have been fortunate to have Clay’s representation for the last 13 years and he will undoubtedly leave big shoes to fill. While we are losing a huge advocate in the Senate, I am confident he will continue to lead and work for the people of Alabama.”

Scofield was first elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010, and he was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2020.

You can read Scofield’s entire letter here.

Alabama Senator Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) was elected to replace Scofield as Senate Majority Leader Monday. Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said in a statement after the vote supporting the choice of Livingston as leader.

“In addition to being one of my closest friends for many years, Steve Livingston has been a mentor of mine since the first moment I joined the House and a strong leader whose example I respect deeply. Sen. Livingston is a man of strong convictions and conservative beliefs, and he will lead his colleagues with the fairness, strength, and common sense that are his trademarks. As the voters who have elected him to three terms already know, the state of Alabama is fortunate to have a man of Steve Livingston’s moral character leading the Senate majority.” 

Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter