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{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Jeff Sessions
|image        = Jeff Sessions, official portrait.jpg
|office       = 84th [[United States Attorney General]] 
|president    = [[Donald Trump]]
|deputy       = [[Rod J. Rosenstein]] 
|term_start   = February 9, 2017
|term_end     = November 7, 2018
|predecessor  = [[Loretta Lynch]]
|successor    = [[William P. Barr]]
|jr/sr1       = United States Senator
|state1       = [[Alabama]]
|term_start1  = January 3, 1997
|term_end1    = February 8, 2017
|predecessor1 = [[Howell Heflin]]
|successor1   = [[Luther Strange]]
|office2      = 44th [[Attorney General of Alabama]]
|governor2    = [[Fob James]]
|term_start2  = January 16, 1995
|term_end2    = January 3, 1997
|predecessor2 = Jimmy Evans
|successor2   = [[William H. Pryor Jr.|Bill Pryor]]
|office3      = [[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama|Southern District of Alabama]]
|president3   = [[Ronald Reagan]]<br>[[George H. W. Bush]]
|term_start3  = 1981
|term_end3    = 1993
|predecessor3 = William Kimbrough, Jr.
|successor3   = [[Don Foster]]
|birth_name   = Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III
|birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1946|12|24}}
|birth_place  = [[Selma, Alabama|Selma]], [[Alabama]], U.S.
|death_date   = 
|death_place  = 
|party        = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|spouse       = Mary Blackshear
|children     = 3
|alma_mater   = [[Huntingdon College]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}<br>[[University of Alabama School of Law|University of Alabama]] {{small|([[Juris Doctor|JD]])}}
|signature=Jeff Sessions Signature.svg
|website      = {{url|sessions.senate.gov|Senate website}}
|allegiance   = {{flagu|United States}}
|branch       = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1973–1977
|rank         = [[File:US-O3 insignia.svg|18px]] [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
|unit         = 1184th United States Army [[Transportation Corps|Transportation]] Terminal Unit<br>[[United States Army Reserve]]
}}
'''Jefferson Beauregard''' "'''Jeff'''" '''Sessions III''' (born December 24, 1946) is an American conservative politician. He was the 84th [[United States Attorney General]] serving from February 9, 2017 to November 7, 2018.

Before being Attorney General, he was the [[Seniority in the United States Senate|junior]] [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Alabama]]. He is a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. At the time of his senate career, he ranked [[Seniority in the United States Senate|15th]] in seniority in the United States Senate. He was the most senior junior Senator upon the retirement of [[Barbara Boxer]] in January 2017 to February 2017.

In November 2019, Sessions announced that he would run for his old [[United States Senate|Senate]] seat in 2020. He lost the Republican nomination to [[Tommy Tuberville]].

==Early life==
Sessions was born in [[Selma, Alabama]] on December 24, 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography|title=SESSIONS, Jefferson Beauregard III (Jeff) – Biographical Information|last=|first=|website=bioguide.congress.gov|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate=November 19, 2016|archive-date=November 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126075602/http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was the son of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, Jr., and the former Abbie Powe.<ref name=genref1>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/sessions.htm|title=Ancestry of Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III|accessdate=August 4, 2009|first=Robert|last=Battle|publisher=[[Rootsweb]]|archive-date=August 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811002405/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/sessions.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was raised in [[Camden, Alabama]]. Sessions earned [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A. Degree]] from [[Huntingdon College]] and a [[Juris Doctor|J.D. Degree]] from the [[University of Alabama]].

==Early career==
From 1981 to 1993, he was [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama|U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama]]. Sessions was elected [[Attorney General of Alabama]] in 1994.

==United States senator (1997&ndash;2017)==
Sessions was elected to the U.S. Senate in [[United States Senate election in Alabama, 1996|1996]] and re-elected in [[United States Senate election in Alabama, 2002|2002]], [[United States Senate election in Alabama, 2008|2008]], and [[United States Senate election in Alabama, 2014|2014]]. Sessions was considered one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate.

As a senator, he is known for being against illegal immigration and for reducing legal immigration. He supported the major legislative efforts of the [[George W. Bush]] administration, including the [[Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001|2001]] and [[Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003|2003 tax cut packages]], the [[Iraq War]], and a proposed [[Federal Marriage Amendment|national amendment to ban same-sex marriage]].

He opposed the [[Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008|establishment of the Troubled Asset Relief Program]], the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|2009 stimulus bill]], the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]], and the [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010|''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' Repeal Act]]. As the ranking Republican on the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]], he opposed all three of President Barack Obama's nominees for the [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]].

An early supporter of [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign]], Sessions was considered as a possible [[Vice President of the United States|Vice Presidential]] nominee, but Trump finally chose [[Governor of Indiana|Indiana governor]] [[Mike Pence]].

Sessions resigned from the senate to become the [[United States Attorney General]] on February 8, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/06/politics/devos-session-senate-vote-tuesday/|title=DeVos, Sessions expected to be confirmed in tight votes|last1=Barrett|first1=Ted|last2=LoBianco|first2=Tom|date=February 6, 2017|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=6 February 2017}}</ref>

==United States Attorney General (2017&ndash;2018)==
On November 18, 2016, it was announced that [[President-elect of the United States|President-elect]] [[Donald Trump]] planned to nominate Sessions for [[United States Attorney General]].

On January 10, 2017, the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]] hearings on his nomination began.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sessions-nomination-battle-kicks-capitol-hill-n705136|title=Jeff Sessions, Trump's Pick for Attorney General, Testifies at Senate Confirmation Hearing|last=Rafferty|first=Andrew|date=January 10, 2017|work=NBC News|accessdate=10 January 2017}}</ref> The committee approved his nomination February 1 on a straight party-line vote, 11 to 9.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/senate-judiciary-jeff-sessions-234488|title=Sessions clears committee on party-line 11-9 vote|last=Kim|first=Seung Min|date=February 1, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=2 February 2017}}</ref> The senate narrowly confirmed his nomination on February 8, 2017. He was sworn-in by Vice President [[Mike Pence]] on February 9. On May 7, 2018 he announced a new morally questionable policy that separated children from their mothers at the border.

As U.S. Attorney General, Sessions overturned a memo delivered by [[Eric Holder]] to reduce [[mass incarceration]] by avoiding [[mandatory sentencing]],<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/jeff-sessions-sentencing-criminal-justice.html |title=Sessions to Toughen Rules on Prosecuting Drug Crimes |date=May 10, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=A1 |last1=Ruiz |first1=Rebecca R. |accessdate=May 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513022205/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/jeff-sessions-sentencing-criminal-justice.html |archivedate=May 13, 2017}}</ref> and ordered federal prosecutors to begin seeking the maximum criminal charges possible. Sessions allowed law enforcement to seize the property of those suspected but not charged with crimes.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |last1=Ruiz |first1=Rebecca R. |title=Justice Dept. Revives Criticized Policy Allowing Assets to Be Seized |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/justice-department-civil-asset-forfeiture.html |accessdate=July 20, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 20, 2017 |page=A18 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720002742/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/justice-department-civil-asset-forfeiture.html |archivedate=July 20, 2017}}</ref><ref name="www.justice.gov">{{cite press release |title=Press Release Number 17-795: Attorney General Sessions Issues Policy and Guidelines on Federal Adoptions of Assets Seized by State or Local Law Enforcement |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-sessions-issues-policy-and-guidelines-federal-adoptions-assets-seized-state |accessdate=July 20, 2017 |work=www.justice.gov |date=July 19, 2017 |language=en |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720011810/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-sessions-issues-policy-and-guidelines-federal-adoptions-assets-seized-state |archivedate=July 20, 2017}}</ref> A critic of [[illegal immigration]], Sessions adopted a hard-line on so-called [[sanctuary cities]] and told reporters that cities that did not follow federal immigration policy would lose federal funding, but failed.<ref name="Fox News">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/27/sessions-takes-aim-at-dangerous-sanctuary-cities-warns-on-funding.html |title=Sessions takes aim at 'dangerous' sanctuary cities, warns on funding |date=March 27, 2017 |publisher=Fox News |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408171425/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/27/sessions-takes-aim-at-dangerous-sanctuary-cities-warns-on-funding.html |archivedate=April 8, 2017}}</ref> As Attorney General, Sessions supported allowing the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] to prosecute providers of [[medical marijuana]].<ref name="Ingraham">{{cite web |author=Christopher Ingraham |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-personally-asked-congress-to-let-him-prosecute-medical-marijuana-providers/ |title=Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress to let him prosecute medical-marijuana providers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 13, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704095547/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-personally-asked-congress-to-let-him-prosecute-medical-marijuana-providers/ |archivedate=July 4, 2017}}.</ref>

On November 7, 2018, President Trump fired Sessions as Attorney General in a tweet.<ref>[https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1060256619383193601 Donald J. Trump on Twitter]</ref>

==2020 United States Senate race==
In October 2019, Sessions began exploring a potential candidacy for his old Senate seat in the [[2020 United States Senate election in Alabama|2020 election]].<ref name=exploring>{{Cite web|url=https://newschannel9.com/news/election/ap-sources-jeff-sessions-exploring-possible-ala-senate-run|title=AP sources: Jeff Sessions exploring possible Ala. Senate run|publisher=News Channel|date=October 29, 2019}}</ref> He announced his Senate run on November 7, 2019.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jeff-sessions-expected-announce-bid-alabama-senate-seat/story?id=66803892 | title=Former AG Jeff Sessions announces comeback bid for Alabama Senate seat | website=[[ABC News]] }}</ref>

Sessions lost the Alabama Senate Primary to [[Tommy Tuberville]] on July 14, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/eb8d04c518fd8cb9d6d2d0eeef812ec6|title=Tuberville beats Sessions, wins Alabama Senate GOP primary|date=July 14, 2020|accessdate=July 14, 2020|work=AP News|author=Chandler, Kim}}</ref> A ''Washington Post'' headline read, "Sessions loses runoff in Alabama as Trump helps end career of key supporter he came to despise."<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=2020|title=Sessions loses runoff in Alabama as Trump helps end career of key supporter he came to despise|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sessions-tuberville-alabama-senate/2020/07/14/5643926e-c5ef-11ea-8ffe-372be8d82298_story.html|access-date=}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Sessions and his wife Mary have three children and six grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news|last1=De La Cuetara|first1=Ines|title=Jeff Sessions: Everything You Need to Know|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jeff-sessions/story?id=40279756|work=ABC News|date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> The family is [[United Methodist]]. He teaches at Sunday School to children in [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], Alabama.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Lucas |first= Fred |title= Who Is the New Attorney General Pick, Jeff Sessions? |date= November 21, 2016 |url= http://www.newsweek.com/who-new-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-523460 |journal= [[Newsweek]] |accessdate= November 24, 2016 |quote= Sessions is a Sunday school teacher at the Ashland Place United Methodist Church in Mobile and has been a delegate to the annual Alabama Methodist Conference.}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other websites==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://sessions.senate.gov/public/ Senator Jeff Sessions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729214126/http://sessions.senate.gov/public/ |date=2009-07-29 }} official U.S. Senate site
* [http://www.jeffsessions.com/ Jeff Sessions for Senate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210184512/http://www.jeffsessions.com/ |date=2020-12-10 }}
* {{Dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Alabama/Government/Federal/US_Senate/Jeff_Sessions_%5BR%5D}}
* {{C-SPAN|jeffsessions}}
* [http://topics.politico.com/index.cfm/topic/JeffSessions Collected news and commentary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620205745/http://topics.politico.com/index.cfm/topic/JeffSessions |date=2010-06-20 }} from ''[[Politico (newspaper)|Politico]]''

{{USAttGen}}
{{Trump cabinet}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sessions, Jeff}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States Attorneys General]]
[[Category:People from Selma, Alabama]]
[[Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians]]
[[Category:United States senators from Alabama]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Alabama]]