As U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, inches closer to what he expects will be a decision to run for the Senate in 2020, he said Tuesday that he has had two recent conversations former Sen. Jeff Sessions.

So to get to the question lingering over the south Alabama native who recently resigned under pressure as U.S. Attorney General, did Sessions say anything about the possibility he might run for his old Senate seat?

“No,” Byrne said Tuesday morning during a visit to Huntsville. “I think that’s the simplest answer to your question.”

It also appears that Sessions – who stepped down as AG on Nov. 7 – has made no firm plans about his future.

“He’s got some decisions to make about his own life and I understand that,” Byrne said of Sessions. “It’s been less than three weeks since he left the attorney general’s office. I understand his need to have some time to think about his future. I want the best for his future. I think everybody in Alabama wants the best for Sen. Sessions’ future. But I’m going to continue to do what I’m doing.”

And that’s running for Senate.

“Not at this point in time,” Byrne said when asked if he could envision a scenario where he decided not to run for Senate after spending the past “six or seven months” touring the state to drum up support for his candidacy. His schedule tentatively has a formal announcement in early 2019.

His conversations with Sessions, Byrne said, did nothing to discourage him from continuing that pursuit of unseating Sen. Doug Jones – the Democrat who edged Roy Moore to win the special election last year to fill the seat Sessions left to become AG under President Trump.

“If he had told me something in the conversation that would change my mind, I would change my mind,” Byrne said. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m on the trajectory I’ve been on for months. He’s known about that since before he left the attorney general’s office.

“We’ve known one another for a long time. I told him, ‘Senator, I’m continuing to do what I’ve been telling you I was going to do.’ That’s what we’ve done and this trip is a part of that.”

Sessions has not made any public appearances since resigning, though he was back in Alabama last week, Byrne said. State Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur posted a picture of himself and his son Jack with Sessions on Twitter and Facebook on Sunday.

Jack and I were glad to see Jeff Sessions this past week! Looking well and rested. pic.twitter.com/LUceMwAeRE — Senator Arthur Orr (@SenatorAOrr) November 25, 2018

Should Sessions decide to enter the race, however, it would perhaps turn what’s expected to be a wide-open GOP primary upside down. He served in the Senate for 20 years, maintaining a statewide popularity before joining Trump’s campaign and subsequent nomination as attorney general.

Meanwhile, Byrne has emerged as the Republican frontrunner in a race where other potential candidates have kept a low public profile about their intentions. That figures to change soon with the primary scheduled for March 3, 2020 – barely more than 15 months away.

Byrne, though, is taking an admittedly different strategy in his undeclared campaign. He’s meeting with potential opponents.

“It probably is unusual but it’s the way I do things,” he said. “Particularly when you’re talking about people who are friends of mine. I agree it’s unusual but it’s the way I do things.”

Ten candidates appeared on the ballot for the Republican special Senate election last year and with no GOP incumbent, it could again be a crowded field.

“I know all these people,” Byrne said of potential opponents. “One of the great things about Alabama we’re a small enough state where we all know one another. Some of these people are friends of mine. And it would not be right for me to be jumping out there in a political race without me at least sitting down and saying, ‘This is where I am. Where are you?’ We’ve had some great conversations and renewed some friendships with people and I’ve enjoyed that. We’re getting closer to the time we need to bring closure to those conversations.

“After the holidays are over, it’s going to be time for all of us to be having a very clear conversation – in or out – and I’ve been very clear with people what I’m doing.”