Biography

Note: If you are introducing Congressman Byrne at an event, click here for a sample introduction.

Bradley Byrne was born and raised in Mobile, just a few miles from the site where his great-great-great grandfather, Gerald Byrne, settled in the 1780’s.

After completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University, Byrne received his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He practiced law in Mobile for more than 30 years, always active in the local community through various service and economic development organizations.

Byrne served as a member of the Alabama State Senate representing District 32 from 2003 to 2007. Byrne was elected to Congress in December 2013, to complete the term of Congressman Jo Bonner, who announced his retirement in May 2013. Congressman Byrne was elected to his first full term on November 4, 2014.

In Congress, Byrne has established himself as an effective legislator by successfully advocating for local interests while also championing a smaller, less invasive federal government. Byrne has worked to support local industry through improved infrastructure, including the construction of a new I-10 bridge over the Mobile River. In an effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, Byrne has pushed for the repeal of ObamaCare, fought to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses and worked to rein in out-of-control federal spending.

As a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, Byrne has been an outspoken supporter for a strong national defense and improved quality of care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Byrne has traveled with the Armed Services Committee to the Middle East to meet foreign leaders and visit with United States military personnel. Byrne has also used his position on the Committee to build support for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), which is built in part at Mobile’s Austal USA shipyard.

A lifelong native of Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Byrne has been a strong supporter of the coastal economy. Byrne led the charge for reforms to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act which would give more power over the Red Snapper fishery to the Gulf States. Byrne has also advocated for increased off-shore energy production and American energy independence.

As a former member of the Alabama State Board of Education and former Chancellor of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, Byrne saw the House Committee on Education and the Workforce as a natural fit. On the Committee, Byrne has focused on returning more control over education policy to the state and local level. In addition to pushing right-to-work policies and taking on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Byrne has made workforce training and technical education one of his top priorities.

Byrne has been married to the former Rebecca Dukes of Montgomery for over 30 years. Rebecca is the President and CEO of The Community Foundation of South Alabama, and they are the parents of four children: Patrick, Kathleen, Laura, and Colin. Bradley and Rebecca welcomed the birth of their first grandson, MacGuire Arthur Byrne, on September 4, 2014. Bradley lives in Fairhope where he and his family are members of St. James Episcopal Church.