Robert J. Bentley

Robert J. Bentley
Born	Robert Julian Bentley 2/3/1943
Birthplace	Columbiana, Alabama, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, physician
Title	53rd Governor of Alabama
Known for	53rd Governor of Alabama
Education	University of Alabama, Birmingham (M.D.)
Children	4

Robert Julian Bentley (born February 3, 1943) is an American former politician and physician who served as the 53rd Governor of Alabama from January 17, 2011, until his resignation on April 10, 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Bentley rose from a small-town dermatologist and state legislator to the state's highest office, winning the 2010 gubernatorial election by the largest margin recorded for a Republican in an open-seat race in Alabama history. He was re-elected in 2014 with 63.6 percent of the vote, the largest percentage any Republican gubernatorial candidate had received in modern Alabama history. His governorship, however, ended in disgrace when he resigned amid a sex scandal involving a senior political adviser, pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to campaign finance law violations and accepting a lifetime ban from seeking public office in Alabama.

Early Life

Robert Julian Bentley was born on February 3, 1943, in Columbiana, Alabama, a small town in Shelby County located approximately forty miles south of Birmingham. Bentley grew up in a rural setting in central Alabama. His upbringing in the small-town environment of Columbiana shaped his later political identity as a candidate who emphasized his roots outside the traditional centers of Alabama political power.

Bentley's path to public life was not a direct one. Before entering politics, he pursued a career in medicine, a profession he would practice for decades before his election to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002. His background as a physician became a central element of his political identity, particularly during his gubernatorial campaigns, where he positioned himself as a political outsider with real-world professional experience.

Education

Bentley attended the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1968. His medical education prepared him for a career in dermatology, which he practiced for several decades before and during his political career.

Career

Military Service

Following the completion of his medical degree in 1968, Bentley entered the United States Air Force, serving as a medical officer. He served in the Air Force from 1969 to 1975, eventually attaining the rank of captain before leaving the military. His military service became a notable element of his biography during his subsequent political campaigns.

Medical Career

After completing his military service, Bentley entered private medical practice, specializing in dermatology. He established and operated a series of dermatology clinics throughout the southern United States. His career as a physician and small business owner formed the backbone of his political narrative when he later sought elected office, presenting himself as a professional with firsthand experience in healthcare and business management. His private-sector background was frequently highlighted during his gubernatorial campaigns and his time in office.

Alabama House of Representatives

Bentley was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002, representing the 63rd district. He succeeded Tim Parker in the seat and served two four-year terms from January 3, 2003, to November 3, 2010. During his time in the state legislature, Bentley served on various committees and built a reputation as a conservative Republican legislator. His tenure in the House provided him with legislative experience and political connections that would prove instrumental in his later gubernatorial campaign.

2010 Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2010, Bentley announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Governor of Alabama. The race featured a crowded field of seven Republican candidates, and Bentley was initially considered a long-shot contender. His campaign emphasized his background as a physician and small-town roots, presenting him as a political outsider who could bring fresh perspective to Montgomery.

Bentley's campaign strategy relied heavily on grassroots organizing and personal campaigning across the state. He leaned on his connections from his medical practice and legislative service to build a statewide network of supporters. Despite entering the race without the level of name recognition or financial backing enjoyed by some of his rivals, Bentley won the Republican primary, advancing through the multi-candidate field to secure the party's nomination.

In the general election, Bentley faced Democrat Ron Sparks, the outgoing Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture. The race took place during a strong national Republican cycle, and Bentley benefited from favorable political conditions in Alabama. On November 2, 2010, Bentley won decisively, receiving just over 58 percent of the statewide vote and winning by a margin of more than 230,000 votes — the largest margin recorded for a Republican in an open-seat race in Alabama history.

Governorship (2011–2017)

Bentley was inaugurated as the 53rd Governor of Alabama on January 17, 2011, succeeding Bob Riley. Kay Ivey served as his lieutenant governor throughout his time in office.

During his early tenure, Bentley addressed several policy issues affecting Alabama. He took positions on gambling legislation in the state, with gambling-related policy being a prominent issue during the early months of his administration.

Bentley also engaged in advocacy related to disability services and healthcare access during his time in office. In May 2016, he toured the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham center, where he spoke publicly about his own son's disability and the challenges families face in accessing care and support services.

2014 Re-election

In 2014, Bentley sought re-election as governor. He won the Republican primary and went on to win the general election with 63.6 percent of the vote, the largest percentage any Republican gubernatorial candidate had received in modern Alabama history. The decisive victory reflected Bentley's popularity among Alabama voters at the time and the continued strength of the Republican Party in the state. Political commentators noted his significant margin of victory as an indicator of the political landscape in Alabama during this period.

Scandal and Resignation

Bentley's second term was dominated by a scandal that ultimately ended his political career. In March 2016, former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier, after being fired by Bentley, publicly alleged that the governor had engaged in an extramarital affair with Rebekah Caldwell Mason, a senior political adviser. Bentley acknowledged on March 23, 2016, that he had made sexually explicit and inappropriate comments to Mason, but denied that the relationship had been physical.

The scandal intensified as recordings surfaced that appeared to capture Bentley making intimate remarks to Mason. The recordings had reportedly been made by Bentley's then-wife, Dianne Bentley, prior to their divorce in 2015.

On April 5, 2016, Republican State Representative Ed Henry filed an impeachment resolution against Bentley in the Alabama State Legislature in connection with the allegations. On July 7, 2016, the House Judiciary Committee appointed a special counsel to lead a formal impeachment inquiry against the governor.

The investigation expanded beyond the affair itself to encompass allegations that Bentley had used state resources to facilitate and conceal the relationship with Mason. These allegations raised questions about potential violations of ethics and campaign finance laws.

On April 5, 2017, the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley had violated both state ethics and campaign finance laws. With impeachment proceedings advancing in the state legislature and the weight of the ethics findings bearing down on his administration, Bentley's political position became untenable.

On April 10, 2017, Bentley pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to campaign finance law violations. As part of a plea agreement, he tendered his immediate resignation as Governor of Alabama. The plea deal included several conditions: Bentley agreed to a lifetime ban from ever seeking public office in Alabama again, to perform community service, and to repay campaign funds that had been improperly used.

Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey was sworn in as Bentley's successor on the same day, becoming the second woman to serve as Governor of Alabama.

Appointment of Luther Strange

One of the more consequential decisions of Bentley's governorship was his appointment of Luther Strange to the United States Senate in February 2017 to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General. The appointment drew scrutiny because Strange, who had been serving as Alabama Attorney General, had been involved in oversight of the investigation into Bentley's conduct. Critics alleged that the Senate appointment may have been made in exchange for Strange slowing or impeding the investigation into the governor, though both Bentley and Strange denied any quid pro quo arrangement. The cloud of suspicion surrounding the appointment followed Strange throughout his abbreviated Senate tenure and was viewed as a contributing factor in his loss to Roy Moore in the September 2017 Republican primary runoff for the Senate seat.

Personal Life

Bentley was married to Dianne Bentley for approximately fifty years before their divorce was finalized in 2015. The couple had four children together. The divorce occurred during the period in which the scandal involving Bentley's relationship with his political adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason was developing, and recordings allegedly capturing Bentley making intimate remarks to Mason had reportedly been made by Dianne Bentley.

Bentley identified publicly as a devout Christian, and his faith was a prominent part of his political identity. His inaugural address in 2011 and subsequent public remarks frequently referenced his religious convictions. The contrast between his professed faith and the circumstances of his resignation became a subject of public commentary in Alabama. When Bentley became governor, evangelical Christians in Alabama had viewed him as a model of integrity. His fall from office was described as a "bitter blow" for the state's Christian community.

Bentley also spoke publicly about family challenges during his time in office. In May 2016, he shared a personal story about his son's disability during a visit to the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham center, discussing the difficulties his family faced and the importance of support services for individuals with disabilities.

Legacy

Robert J. Bentley's political career encompassed a trajectory from small-town physician to state legislator to governor, followed by a dramatic fall from power. His 2010 election represented a significant moment in Alabama Republican politics, as his winning margin set a record for a Republican in an open-seat gubernatorial race in the state. His 2014 re-election, with 63.6 percent of the vote, further demonstrated the dominance of the Republican Party in Alabama during this period.

However, Bentley's legacy is defined primarily by the scandal that ended his governorship. His resignation made him the first Alabama governor since Guy Hunt in 1993 to leave office under legal pressure. The circumstances of his departure — involving an extramarital affair with a political adviser, the alleged misuse of state resources, and violations of campaign finance and ethics laws — became one of the most prominent political scandals in modern Alabama history.

The broader political ramifications of Bentley's scandal extended beyond his own career. His appointment of Luther Strange to the United States Senate, made under a cloud of suspicion regarding the motivations behind the selection, contributed to Strange's defeat in the subsequent Republican primary and reshaped the dynamics of the 2017 Alabama Senate special election.

Bentley's successor, Kay Ivey, who was sworn in immediately upon his resignation, went on to win election in her own right in 2018, establishing herself as a significant figure in Alabama politics. The transition from Bentley to Ivey represented both a change in leadership and a turning of the page from one of the state's most turbulent political episodes.

For Alabama's evangelical Christian community, which had embraced Bentley as one of their own, his downfall carried particular significance. The New York Times reported that his resignation was experienced as a "bitter blow" by many of the state's Christians, who had held high expectations for a governor who had so prominently professed his faith.