Luther Strange speaks at an event in Cullman in this July 30, 2014 Times file photo.

U.S. Sen. Luther Strange’s battle to gain a full term in office received backing from President Donald Trump earlier this week.

According to most polls, Strange is second in the race behind former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. The campaign has been bitter as the contenders have attacked Strange, who accepted an appointment to the Senate from disgraced Gov. Robert Bentley to replace Jeff Sessions.

Editor’s Note

Editor’s note: The following is part of a series of profiles about U.S. Senate candidates running in Tuesday’s primary.

In a visit to Cullman during the late spring, Strange was asked about how he will address concern about accepting the Senate post. He said he had not been asked often about the appointment. 

“I was already running before the appointment was made. That intent was known,” Strange said in an May interview with The Times. “I’m proud of the team I put together and the things we accomplished in cleaning up crime and corruption and in Montgomery.”

Strange has focused on his recent appointment to the Senate Agriculture Committee, noting that this is the year that a new farm bill will be written.

He has also enjoyed the financial support of from national Republican groups associated with powerful U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. The money has allowed Strange to spread an intense advertising campaign promoting his accomplishments in Alabama and to goad his top challengers — Moore and Congressman Mo Brooks.

Coming into the race, Strange’s tenure as Alabama Attorney General was credited with bringing down former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, who was indicted and convicted on 12 felony ethics violations. He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison, eight years on probation and ordered to pay a $210,000 fine.

Strange has campaigned on his former office’s accomplishments in prosecuting crimes in the state.

He also believes his appointment to the Agriculture Committee will be valuable for farmers because of his knowledge of Alabama’s strong agricultural industry.

“Every five years there is a new farm bill and this is the year,” Strange said. “There will be a lot coming forward that affects areas such as Cullman County with its wide range of farms. One thing is cotton, it’s taking a beating, so we’ve got to look closely at what needs to be done. I know, here, and across our state poultry and row crops are vital. We’ll have a lot of work to do in producing the new farm bill.”

As Alabama Attorney General, Strange sued the federal government several times, over such issues as a U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education directive on the treatment of transgender students and changes in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s calculation of Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling royalties. Strange also joined a suit brought by some states against the federal government that challenged the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan.

As attorney general, Strange was the coordinating counsel for the Gulf Coast states in litigation in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Strange was a registered lobbyist in Washington for Sonat and Transocean Offshore Drilling Co. Prior to being elected Attorney General, Strange was the founder of the law firm Strange LLC, a Birmingham-based law firm.