Current First District congressman Bradley Byrne is leaving his safe congressional seat to take a shot at the U.S. Senate this year.

The Mobile First Congressional District has had quite a legacy over the last century. Alabama’s First District has always been primarily made up of Mobile County. Historically, the rural southwest Alabama counties north of Mobile have been a part of the First. Washington, Clarke, Monroe and Escambia do not amount to much of the population. Baldwin and Mobile, which are now essentially one county, have been tied together for the past few decades, and they comprise most of the district.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears on over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.