Katie Britt

Katie Elizabeth Britt (née Boyd; born February 2, 1982) is an American politician and attorney serving since 2023 as the junior United States senator from Alabama.

A member of the Republican Party, Britt is the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama and the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate.

Britt was born Katie Elizabeth Boyd on February 2, 1982, to Julian and Debra Boyd, in the city of Enterprise, Alabama.

She was raised outside Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) in Dale County, Alabama, and worked at her family's businesses throughout her youth.

A graduate of Enterprise High School, Britt was a cheerleader there and one of 19 valedictorians upon graduation in 2000.

She then studied political science at the University of Alabama, where she was elected president of its Student Government Association and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science.

After she graduated from the University of Alabama, Britt joined the staff of U.S. Senator Richard Shelby in May 2004 as deputy press secretary.

She was later promoted to press secretary.

In 2007, she left Shelby's staff and worked as a special assistant to University of Alabama president Robert Witt.

At the University of Alabama School of Law, she participated in Tax Moot Court.

After law school, Britt first worked at Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose LLP in Birmingham.

Following leadership elections for the 118th United States Congress, she did not say whether she supported Mitch McConnell or Rick Scott for Senate Minority Leader.

Before taking office, Britt was selected as the only incoming senator to serve on the newly formed Republican Party Advisory Council of the Republican National Committee.

Britt's first vote in the U.S. Senate was opposing a Biden administration nominee to a Department of Defense position.

During her first month in office, she co-sponsored eight bills and visited the Mexico–United States border twice.

She later attended the University of Alabama School of Law, graduating in 2013 with a Juris Doctor.

When the firm shut down in March 2014, Britt and 17 other former employees joined the Birmingham office of Butler Snow LLP.

She founded the firm's government affairs branch.

In November 2015, Britt took a leave of absence from Butler Snow to return to Shelby's staff, working on his reelection campaign as deputy campaign manager and communications director.

In 2016, Shelby named Britt his chief of staff.

She became a top advisor to Shelby and head of his Judicial Nomination Task Force.

In May 2016, Yellowhammer News named Britt one of "the people who will be running Alabama in a few years".

In December 2018, Britt was selected as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, effective January 2; she was the first woman to lead the organization.

She was president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama from 2019 to 2021, and was chief of staff for her Senate predecessor, Richard Shelby, from 2016 to 2018.

As head of what Alabama Daily News called one of the state's "most influential political organizations", she focused on workforce and economic development through tax incentives, and addressed the state's prison system and participation in the 2020 United States census.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Britt led a "Keep Alabama Open" effort to self-govern business affairs by avoiding shutdowns and maintain employment.

In April 2021, she was elected to the Alabama Wildlife Federation's board of directors.

Britt resigned from her positions at the Business Council of Alabama in June 2021, amid media speculation that she would run for the U.S. Senate.

On June 8, 2021, Britt announced her candidacy in the Republican primary for the 2022 Senate election in Alabama.

Britt, who had never previously run for public office, gradually climbed in the polls as the race went on.

As a Senate candidate, Britt publicly aligned herself with former President Donald Trump.

Britt gave credence to Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

She advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary against Representative Mo Brooks.

Trump officially endorsed Britt on June 10, 2022, calling her a "fearless America First warrior".

He had previously withdrawn an endorsement of Brooks.

Britt defeated Brooks in the runoff on June 21, 2022, with 63% of the vote.

She then handily won the general election on November 8.

After winning the election, Britt became the first woman elected a U.S. senator from Alabama (previous female U.S. senators from Alabama had been appointed to the position).

She was also the youngest Republican woman elected U.S. senator and the second-youngest woman overall (Democrat Blanche Lincoln being the youngest).

Britt took office on January 3, 2023.