2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama
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Turnout | 40.5%[1] ![]() | ||||||||||||||||
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Jones: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Moore: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Alabama |
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The 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama took place on December 12, 2017, in order for the winner to serve the remainder of the U.S. Senate term ending on January 3, 2021. A vacancy arose from Senator Jeff Sessions's February 8, 2017, resignation from the Senate. Sessions resigned his post to serve as the 84th U.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed Luther Strange, the attorney general of Alabama, to fill the vacancy until a special election could take place. The special election was scheduled for December 12, 2017.[2]
Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, won the Democratic primary election. Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, competed with Strange and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks in the August 15, 2017, Republican primary; the two highest vote-getters, Moore and Strange, advanced to a runoff.[3] President Donald Trump supported Strange during the primary runoff, as did much of the Republican establishment in the Senate.[4][5] Moore won the primary runoff on September 26, 2017.[6][7]
Following the primaries, Moore was expected to easily win the general election. Polling showed him with a clear lead, and Alabama is known for its overwhelming support for Republicans. The race was upended in mid-November 2017, when multiple women alleged that Moore had made unwanted advances or sexually assaulted them when he was in his early thirties and they were in their teens (the youngest was 14 at the time), attracting widespread national media coverage of the election.[8][9] As a result of these allegations, many national Republican leaders and office holders called for Moore to withdraw from the special election, rescinded their endorsements of him, and stopped funding his campaign.[10][11][12] Trump and many Alabama Republicans reaffirmed their support.[13] At the time of the revelations, it was too late to remove his name from the ballot.
On December 12, 2017, the Associated Press called the election for Jones; however, Moore refused to concede.[14][15] Jones' victory was widely labeled a major upset. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, becoming the first Democratic U.S. senator from Alabama since Howell Heflin left office in 1997.[16] This is the only time Democrats won a statewide election in Alabama since 2008, when Lucy Baxley was elected President of the Alabama Public Service Commission.
Background
[edit]Potential appointees
[edit]Following then-President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of then-Senator Sessions to be U.S. attorney general, Robert Aderholt, a member of the United States House of Representatives, had asked to be appointed to the seat.[17] Representative Mo Brooks had also expressed interest in the seat, while Strange had stated before being selected that he would run for the seat in the special election whether or not he was appointed.[18][19] Other candidates Governor Bentley interviewed for the Senate appointment included Moore; Del Marsh, the president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate; and Jim Byard, the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.[20]
A vacancy arose from Senator Jeff Sessions' February 8, 2017 resignation to serve as the 84th U.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed State Attorney General Luther Strange to fill the vacancy until a special election could take place. Bentley controversially scheduled the special election to occur in 2018 instead of sooner.[21][22] When Kay Ivey succeeded Bentley as Alabama's Governor, she rescheduled the special election for December 12, 2017, a move she said was made to adhere with state law.[2]
Republican primary
[edit]Campaign
[edit]The Republican primary attracted national attention, especially following Trump's endorsement of incumbent Senator Luther Strange. Strange was backed by several key figures within the Republican establishment, most notably Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. His two main rivals in the primary were former state judge Roy Moore and Congressman Mo Brooks. While Strange was expected to advance through the first round of the primary, almost every opinion poll showed him trailing Roy Moore in a potential runoff. Strange placed second behind Roy Moore, securing a spot in the runoff.[23]
Candidates
[edit]Nominated
[edit]- Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and candidate for governor in 2006 and 2010[24]
Eliminated in runoff
[edit]- Luther Strange, incumbent U.S. senator (appointed) and former attorney general of Alabama[25]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- James Beretta, physician[26]
- Joseph F. Breault, Air Force chaplain and nominee for the Utah House of Representatives in 2016[26][27]
- Randy Brinson, gastroenterologist and activist[28]
- Mo Brooks, U.S. representative[29]
- Dom Gentile, businessman[30][31]
- Karen Jackson, attorney and perennial candidate[26][32]
- Mary Maxwell, candidate for NH-02 in 2006[33][34]
- Bryan Peeples, businessman[35]
- Trip Pittman, state senator[36]
Withdrew
[edit]Declined
[edit]
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|
Endorsements
[edit]Executive Branch officials
- Ben Carson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital (1984–2013), presidential candidate in 2016[53]
- Alan Keyes, former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs under Ronald Reagan, and Republican candidate for president of the United States in 1996, 2000, and 2008[54]
U.S. senators
- Tom Coburn, former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, 2005–2015[55]
U.S. representatives
- Andy Biggs, member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona's 5th congressional district[56][non-primary source needed]
- Mo Brooks, member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 5th congressional district and former US Senate candidate[57][58][59][60]
- Jody Hice, member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia's 10th congressional district[61]
- Jim Jordan, member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 4th congressional district[62]
- Mark Meadows, member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina's 11th congressional district and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus[61]
- Paul Broun, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia's 10th congressional district[63]
- Joe Walsh, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 8th congressional district[64]
Statewide officials
- Fob James, 48th governor of Alabama[65]
- Ken Cuccinelli, 46th attorney general of Virginia, former Virginia state senator, and Republican nominee for governor of Virginia in 2013[66]
- Jim Zeigler, state auditor of Alabama[67]
State senators
- Bill Armistead, former state senator and former chair of the Alabama Republican Party[68]
- Trip Pittman, of Montrose, former US Senate candidate[69]
- Larry Stutts, of Sheffield[70]
- Tom Whatley, of Auburn[70]
State Representatives
- Mike Ball of Madison[70]
- K. L. Brown of Jacksonville[70]
- Lynn Greer of Rogersville[70]
- Tommy Hanes of Scottsboro[70]
- Ed Henry of Hartselle, chairman of Donald Trump's Alabama campaign[71]
- Mike Holmes of Wetumpka[70]
- Becky Nordgren of Gadsden[70]
- Ritchie Whorton of Scottsboro[70]
- Rich Wingo of Tuscaloosa[70]
- Randy Wood of Anniston[70]
Local officials
- Erick Erickson, conservative blogger and former member of the Macon City Council[72][73]
Organizations
- Coalition of African American Pastors[74]
- Courageous Conservatives PAC[75]
- Gun Owners of America[76]
- National Association for Gun Rights[77]
- Senate Conservatives Fund[61]
Individuals
|
Executive Branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States[88]
- Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States[89]
U.S. senators
- Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate majority leader from Kentucky[90]
- Richard Shelby, U.S. Senator from Alabama[91]
State representatives
- Perry O. Hooper Jr., former state representative[45]
Organizations
U.S. representatives
- Mark Meadows, U.S. representative (R-NC) and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus[94]
- Mike Rogers, U.S. representative (R-AL)[95]
- Lamar S. Smith, U.S. representative (R-TX)[96]
State representatives
Organizations
- Courageous Conservatives PAC[98]
- FreedomWorks[99]
- Gun Owners of America[100]
- Senate Conservatives Fund[101]
- Students for Trump[102]
Individuals
- Ann Coulter, conservative commentator[103]
- Sean Hannity, conservative talk radio host and host of Hannity[104]
- Laura Ingraham, conservative talk radio host[105]
- Mark Levin, conservative talk radio host[106]
First round
[edit]Polling
[edit]Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | James Beretta | Joseph Breault | Randy Brinson | Mo Brooks | Mary Maxwell | Roy Moore | Bryan Peeples | Trip Pittman | Luther Strange | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trafalgar Group (R)[107] | August 12–13, 2017 | 870 | ± 3.3% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 17% | 1% | 38% | 1% | 6% | 24% | 5% |
Emerson College[108] | August 10–12, 2017 | 373 | ± 5.0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 15% | 0% | 29% | 0% | 10% | 32% | 11% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[109] | August 8–10, 2017 | 1,439 | ± 2.6% | 1% | 1% | 4% | 20% | 2% | 35% | 1% | 6% | 23% | 8% |
Cygnal (R)[110] | August 8–9, 2017 | 502 | ± 4.4% | – | – | 2% | 18% | – | 31% | – | 7% | 23% | 13% |
Strategy Research[111] | August 7, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 2.0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 19% | 4% | 35% | 1% | 9% | 29% | 0% |
JMC Analytics (R)[112] | August 5–6, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | – | – | 2% | 19% | – | 30% | – | 6% | 22% | 17% |
RRH Elections (R)[113] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | – | – | 2% | 18% | – | 31% | – | 8% | 29% | 11% |
Strategy Research[114] | July 24, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 16% | 5% | 33% | 2% | 5% | 35% | – |
Cygnal (R)[115] | July 20–21, 2017 | 500 | ± 2.0% | – | – | – | 16% | – | 26% | – | – | 33% | – |
Results
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/2017ALUSSenateGOP.svg/170px-2017ALUSSenateGOP.svg.png)
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 164,524 | 38.9% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 138,971 | 32.8% | |
Republican | Mo Brooks | 83,287 | 19.7% | |
Republican | Trip Pittman | 29,124 | 6.9% | |
Republican | Randy Brinson | 2,978 | 0.6% | |
Republican | Bryan Peeples | 1,579 | 0.4% | |
Republican | Mary Maxwell | 1,543 | 0.4% | |
Republican | James Beretta | 1,078 | 0.3% | |
Republican | Dom Gentile | 303 | 0.1% | |
Republican | Joseph Breault | 252 | 0.1% | |
Total votes | 423,282 | 100.0% |
Runoff
[edit]President Donald Trump supported Strange during the primary runoff, in addition to much of the Republican establishment in the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who made the success of Strange's candidacy a major priority.[4][5] Trump's efforts on behalf of Strange included tweeting and a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.[116] Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Strange as well.[117][6] With McConnell's help, Strange outspent Moore by a margin of 10-to-1.[117][118]
National interest in the race dramatically increased in the month before the runoff. Strange maintained his endorsement from Trump, who campaigned for him in Huntsville during the closing days of the campaign.[116] Trump's endorsement of Strange sparked criticism among his own base, many of whom preferred Moore and detested Strange for being seemingly too friendly with the GOP establishment. Several notable figures close to Trump broke from the president to endorse Moore, including HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Breitbart Executive Chairman Steve Bannon. Despite Trump's endorsement, Strange was defeated by Roy Moore in the runoff,[119] 54.6%-45.4%.[120]
Moore won the primary runoff on September 26, 2017.[6][7] This was the first time that an incumbent U.S. senator having active White House support lost a primary since Arlen Specter lost to Joe Sestak in 2010.[121]
Debates
[edit]No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn | ||||||
Luther Strange | Roy Moore | |||||
1 | Sep. 21, 2017 | Raycom Media | Hal Fulmer | [122] | P | P |
Averages
[edit]Model | Moore | Strange | Spread |
---|---|---|---|
RealClearPolitics[123] | 52.5% | 41.5% | Moore +11.0 |
Polling
[edit]Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Roy Moore | Luther Strange | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cygnal (R)[124] | September 23–24, 2017 | 996 | ± 3.1% | 52% | 41% | 7% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[125] | September 23–24, 2017 | 1,073 | ± 3.0% | 57% | 41% | 2% |
Optimus (R)[126] | September 22–23, 2017 | 1,045 | ± 2.9% | 55% | 45% | – |
Emerson College[127] | September 21–23, 2017 | 367 | ± 5.1% | 50% | 40% | 10% |
Gravis Marketing[128] | September 21–22, 2017 | 559 | ± 4.1% | 48% | 40% | 12% |
Strategy Research[129] | September 20, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 3.0% | 54% | 46% | – |
Strategy Research[130] | September 18, 2017 | 2,930 | ± 3.0% | 53% | 47% | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[131] | September 16–17, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 47% | 39% | 14% |
Voter Consumer Research (R-SLF)[132] | September 9–10, 2017 | 604 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 40% | 19% |
Emerson College[133] | September 8–9, 2017 | 355 | ± 5.2% | 40% | 26% | 34% |
Strategic National[134] | September 6–7, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 51% | 35% | 14% |
Southeast Research[135] | August 29–31, 2017 | 401 | ± 5.0% | 52% | 36% | 12% |
Harper Polling[136] | August 24–26, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 45% | 8% |
Voter Consumer Research (R-SLF)[137] | August 21–23, 2017 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 41% | 14% |
Opinion Savvy[138] | August 22, 2017 | 494 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 32% | 18% |
JMC Analytics (R)[139] | August 17–19, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 51% | 32% | 17% |
Cygnal (R)[110] | August 8–9, 2017 | 502 | ± 4.4% | 45% | 34% | 11% |
RRH Elections (R)[140] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | 34% | 32% | 34% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Roy Moore | Mo Brooks | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RRH Elections (R)[140] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | 43% | 20% | 37% |
Fundraising
[edit]Campaign finance reports as of September 6, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Luther Strange (R) | $3,948,168 | $4,061,521 | $631,814 |
Roy Moore (R) | $1,417,416 | $1,133,774 | $285,407 |
Source: Federal Election Commission[141][142] |
Results
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/2017ALUSSenateGOPrunoff.svg/170px-2017ALUSSenateGOPrunoff.svg.png)
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 50–60%
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 262,204 | 54.6% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 218,066 | 45.4% | |
Total votes | 480,270 | 100.0% |
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominated
[edit]- Doug Jones, former United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama[143]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Will Boyd, pastor, former Greenville, Illinois, city councilman, nominee for AL-05 in 2016 and write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois in 2010[144]
- Vann Caldwell, Talladega County constable and perennial candidate[26]
- Jason Fisher, businessman[145]
- Michael Hansen, activist and nonprofit executive[146]
- Robert Kennedy Jr., digital marketing executive for a laboratory supply company (no relation to the Massachusetts Kennedy family)[147][148][149]
- Charles Nana, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2016[26]
Withdrew
[edit]- Ron Crumpton, activist, nominee for the state senate in 2014 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2016[150][52]
- Brian McGee, retired teacher and Vietnam War veteran[26][151][152]
Declined
[edit]- Roger Bedford, former state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1996[153]
- Elaine Beech, state representative[154]
- Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama[155]
- Chris England, state representative[46][154]
- Craig Ford, state representative[154][156]
- Gary Johnson, minister and political activist[157]
- Walt Maddox, mayor of Tuscaloosa[155][158]
- Terri Sewell, U.S. representative[155]
Endorsements
[edit]Executive Branch officials
U.S. senators
- Maggie Hassan, U.S senator (D-NH)[160]
U.S. representatives
- Jim Clyburn, U.S. representative (D-SC), Assistant Minority Leader[161]
- John Lewis, U.S. representative (D-GA)[162]
- Cedric Richmond, U.S. representative (D-LA), Congressional Black Caucus Chairman[161]
- Tim Ryan, U.S. representative (D-OH)[163]
- Terri Sewell, U.S. representative (D-AL)[164]
State legislators
Local officials
Newspapers
Organizations
Individuals
- Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress[171]
- Joe Trippi, Democratic campaign worker and consultant[172]
- George Will, author and journalist[173]
- Charles Barkley, NBA legend, Hall of Famer, and Inside the NBA pundit.
Individual
- Carl Lewis, Olympic gold medalist and University of Houston track and field head coach[174]
Polling
[edit]Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Will Boyd | Vann Caldwell | Jason Fisher | Michael Hansen | Doug Jones | Robert Kennedy Jr. | Charles Nana | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emerson College[175] | August 10–12, 2017 | 164 | ± 7.6% | 8% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 40% | 23% | 1% | 25% |
Strategy Research[111] | August 7, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 2.0% | 9% | 5% | 3% | 7% | 30% | 40% | 5% | – |
Strategy Research[114] | July 24, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 28% | 49% | 5% | – |
Results
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/2018ALUSSenateDprimary.svg/170px-2018ALUSSenateDprimary.svg.png)
- ≥90%
- 80–90%
- 70–80%
- 60–70%
- 50–60%
- 40–50%
- Boyd—30–40%
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Doug Jones | 109,105 | 66.1% | |
Democratic | Robert Kennedy Jr. | 29,215 | 17.7% | |
Democratic | Michael Hansen | 11,105 | 6.7% | |
Democratic | Will Boyd | 8,010 | 4.9% | |
Democratic | Jason Fisher | 3,478 | 2.1% | |
Democratic | Brian McGee | 1,450 | 0.9% | |
Democratic | Charles Nana | 1,404 | 0.9% | |
Democratic | Vann Caldwell | 1,239 | 0.8% | |
Total votes | 165,006 | 100.0% |
Independents and write-in candidates
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Ron Bishop (L, write-in)[176]
- Lee Busby (R, write-in), retired Marine colonel[177]
- Jeff "Cog" Coggin (I, write-in), Air Force veteran[178]
- Chanda Mills Crutcher (I, write-in), minister[179]
- Eulas Kirtdoll (I, write-in)[180]
- Arlester "Mack" McBride (I, write-in)[181]
- Mac Watson (R, write-in)[182]
Declined
[edit]- Craig Ford, Democratic state representative[154][156]
General election
[edit]Controversies
[edit]Roy Moore sexual misconduct allegations
[edit]On November 9, The Washington Post reported that four women had accused Roy Moore of engaging in sexual conduct with them when they were teenagers and he was an assistant district attorney in his thirties. One of the women was 14 years old at the time, below the legal age of consent.[8] A few days later a fifth woman said that she had received unwanted attention from Moore when she was 15 years old, and that in December 1977 or January 1978,[183] when she was 16, Moore sexually assaulted her.[9][184] Moore denied the allegations.
After this, certain Republican leaders and conservative organizations withdrew their endorsements of Moore or asked him to drop out of the campaign. These included Texas Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Attorney General and former seat holder Jeff Sessions, Ivanka Trump,[185] the National Republican Senatorial Committee,[186] former Republican presidential nominees Mitt Romney[187] and John McCain,[188] Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,[189] Ohio Governor John Kasich,[190] Utah Senator Mike Lee,[191] Montana Senator Steve Daines,[192] and House Representatives Barbara Comstock, Carlos Curbelo, and Adam Kinzinger, as well as the Young Republican Federation of Alabama.[193][194][195][196][197] The state's senior Senator Richard Shelby also refused to endorse Moore. Other conservative websites and organizations such as National Review urged readers not to vote for Moore.[198][199] Despite this, Moore continued to receive support from the state party and a week before the election, President Donald Trump strongly endorsed Moore.[200] Following Trump's endorsement, the RNC reinstated their support for him,[201] and Republican leaders said they would "let the people of Alabama decide" whether to elect Moore.[202]
At the time of the revelations, it was too close to the election for Moore's name to be removed from the ballot, as Alabama law forbids any change to names on the ballot within 76 days of any primary or general election.[203] Republican officials proposed various ways to promote an alternate Republican candidate. One suggestion was to ask Governor Kay Ivey to delay the special election until 2018,[204] but Ivey said she had no plans to change the election date.[205] Some Republicans such as Senator Lisa Murkowski floated the prospect of a write-in campaign to elect Luther Strange, with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch actively endorsing a write-in campaign for Strange.[206] However, Strange said it was "highly unlikely" that he would run a write-in campaign.[207] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who formerly held the Senate seat, as a write-in candidate.[208] In late November, Retired Marine Col. Lee Busby launched a write-in campaign, stating that he thought there was room for a centrist in the race.[209]
Debates
[edit]Republican nominee Roy Moore refused to debate Democratic nominee Doug Jones.[210][211][212] Moore turned down debate invitations extended by the League of Women Voters,[211] WHNT-TV and AL.com.[212][210] Jones' campaign said that Jones was "willing to debate Roy Moore anytime, anywhere" and accused Moore of "hiding from the voters, from the media and from his record for weeks."[212][210] Moore and his campaign stated that he refused to debate Jones because their policy positions were already clear to voters and thus there was no need for a formal debate.[212][210]
Predictions
[edit]Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[213] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[214] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
Rothenberg Political Report[215] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
Candidates
[edit]On ballot
[edit]- Doug Jones (D), former United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama
- Roy Moore (R), former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama
Write-in
[edit]- Ron Bishop (L)[216]
- Lee Busby (R)[177][217]
- Jeff "Cog" Coggin (I)[178]
- Chanda Mills Crutcher (I)[179][218]
- Eulas Kirtdoll (I)[180]
- Arlester "Mack" McBride (I)[181]
- Mac Watson (I)[219]
Endorsements
[edit]Executive Branch officials
- Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States[159]
- Hillary Clinton, former United States secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee[220]
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States[221]
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
|
|
Statewide officials
- Charlie Baker, 72nd governor of Massachusetts (Republican)[244]
- Sue Bell Cobb, former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, then-current candidate for governor of alabama[245]
- Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont 1991–2003, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair 2005–2009[246]
- Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland 2007–2015, mayor of Baltimore 1999–2007[247]
- Deval Patrick, politician, civil rights lawyer and businessman; 71st governor of Massachusetts, 2007–2015[248]
- Steve Westly, former state controller and chief financial officer of California[249]
State legislators
|
|
Local officials
- Walt Maddox, mayor of Tuscaloosa[254]
- Randall Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham[255][235]
Individuals
|
|
Newspapers
- The Auburn Plainsman, student-run newspaper for Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama[321]
- The Birmingham News, the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, and the largest newspaper in Alabama[322][323]
- The Crimson White, student-run publication of the University of Alabama[324]
- The Huntsville Times, newspaper serving Huntsville, Alabama, and the surrounding areas of north Alabama's Tennessee Valley region[322][323]
- Press-Register, newspaper serving the southwest Alabama counties of Mobile and Baldwin, and Alabama's oldest newspaper[322][323]
- The Washington Post[325]
Organizations
U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Ben Carson, United States Housing and Urban Development Secretary, director of Department of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital (1984–2013), presidential candidate in 2016[53]
- Mike Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States[330]
- Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States[331]
U.S. Senators
|
|
U.S. Representatives
Statewide office holders
- Twinkle Cavanaugh, president of the Alabama Public Service Commission[344]
- Ken Cuccinelli, 46th Attorney General of Virginia, former Virginia State Senator, and Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2013[66]
- Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama[345]
- Fob James, 48th Governor of Alabama[65]
- John Merrill, Alabama Secretary of State[346]
- Jim Zeigler, State Auditor of Alabama[67]
State Senators
|
|
State Representatives
|
|
Sheriffs
|
|
Political commentators
|
|
Religious leaders
|
|
White nationalists
- Andrew Anglin, white nationalist, founder and editor of The Daily Stormer[365]
- David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, white nationalist, conspiracy theorist, and former Louisiana State Representative[366]
- William Daniel Johnson, white nationalist and leader of the American Freedom Party[367]
- Kevin B. MacDonald, white nationalist, retired professor, conspiracy theorist, and editor of Occidental Observer[368]
- Paul Nehlen, white nationalist, inventor, Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in 2016 and 2018[369][370]
- Robert Warren Ray, white nationalist, writer for The Daily Stormer[371]
Other individuals
|
|
Organizations
|
|
Fundraising
[edit]Campaign finance reports as of May 11, 2018 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Doug Jones (D) | $25,688,282 | $23,559,432 | $2,131,165 |
Roy Moore (R) | $5,147,650 | $5,059,697 | $0 |
Source: Federal Election Commission[383] |
Polling
[edit]![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Roy Moore (R) | Doug Jones (D) | Lee Busby (R) write-in | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research[384] | December 9–11, 2017 | 1,543 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 45% | – | – | 4% |
SurveyMonkey[385] | November 30 – December 11, 2017 | 2,203 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 49% | – | – | 4% |
Fox News[386] | December 7–10, 2017 | 1,127 | ± 3.0% | 40% | 50% | – | 2% | 8% |
Emerson College[387] | December 7–9, 2017 | 600 | ± 3.9% | 53% | 44% | – | 4% | – |
Monmouth University[388] | December 6–9, 2017 | 546 | ± 4.2% | 46% | 46% | – | 2% | 6% |
Public Policy Polling (D)*[389] | December 7–8, 2017 | 1,092 | ± 3.8% | 46% | 48% | – | – | 6% |
Gravis Marketing[390] | December 5–8, 2017 | 1,254 | ± 2.8% | 49% | 45% | – | – | 6% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[391] | December 6–7, 2017 | 1,419 | ± 3.1% | 51% | 46% | – | 3% | – |
Change Research[392] | December 5–7, 2017 | 2,443 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 44% | – | – | 5% |
SurveyMonkey[393] | November 30 – December 7, 2017 | 1,559 | ± 5.5% | 47% | 49% | – | – | 4% |
Strategy Research[394] | December 4, 2017 | 3,200 | ± 2.0% | 50% | 43% | – | 3% | 4% |
Gravis Marketing[395] | December 1–3, 2017 | 1,276 | ± 2.7% | 44% | 48% | – | – | 8% |
Emerson College[396] | November 30 – December 2, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 49% | 46% | 5% | – | – |
YouGov[397] | November 28 – December 1, 2017 | 1,067 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 43% | – | 4% | 4% |
Washington Post/Schar School[398] | November 27–30, 2017 | 739 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 50% | – | 3% | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[399] | November 27–28, 2017 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 44% | – | 5%[400] | 2% |
National Research Inc (R)[401] | November 26–28, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 45% | – | – | 9% |
Change Research[402] | November 26–27, 2017 | 1,868 | ± 2.3% | 49% | 44% | – | – | 7% |
Emerson College[403] | November 25–27, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 53% | 47% | – | – | – |
Strategy Research[404] | November 20, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 47% | 45% | – | 3% | 5% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[405] | November 18–20, 2017 | 11,641 | ± 1.2% | 46% | 40% | – | – | 13% |
Change Research[406] | November 15–16, 2017 | 2,090 | – | 43% | 46% | – | – | 11% |
National Research Inc[407] | November 13–16, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 49% | – | – | 10% |
Gravis Marketing[408] | November 14–15, 2017 | 628 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 47% | – | – | 11% |
Fox News[409] | November 13–15, 2017 | 649 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 50% | – | 2% | 7% |
Strategy Research[410] | November 13, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 49% | 43% | – | – | 8% |
NRSC (R)[411] | November 12–13, 2017 | 500 | – | 39% | 51% | – | – | 10% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[412] | November 11, 2017 | 1,536 | ± 3.3% | 50% | 40% | – | – | 11% |
Emerson College[413] | November 9–11, 2017 | 600 | ± 3.9% | 55% | 45% | – | – | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[414] | November 9–11, 2017 | 575 | ± 4.1% | 44% | 48% | – | 2%[415] | 6% |
Change Research[416] | November 9–11, 2017 | 1,855 | – | 44% | 40% | – | 3% | 13% |
Gravis Marketing[417] | November 10, 2017 | 478 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 46% | – | – | 6% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[412] | November 9, 2017 | 1,354 | ± 3.5% | 50% | 39% | – | – | 11% |
Opinion Savvy[418] | November 9, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 46% | 46% | – | 4% | 4% |
NRSC (R)[411] | November 6–7, 2017 | – | – | 51% | 42% | – | – | 8% |
Strategy Research[419] | November 6, 2017 | 2,200 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 40% | – | – | 9% |
Axis Research (R-SLF)[420] | October 24–26, 2017 | 503 | ± 4.5% | 56% | 39% | – | – | 5% |
Strategy Research[421] | October 19, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 3.0% | 52% | 41% | – | – | 7% |
Strategy Research[422] | October 16, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.5% | 51% | 40% | – | – | 9% |
Fox News[423] | October 14–16, 2017 | 801 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 42% | – | 3% | 11% |
NRSC (R)[411] | October 3–5, 2017 | – | – | 53% | 37% | – | – | 10% |
Cygnal (R)[424] | October 2–5, 2017 | 497 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 41% | – | – | 9% |
JMC Analytics (R)[425] | September 30 – October 1, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 48% | 40% | – | 1%[426] | 11% |
Opinion Savvy[427] | September 27–28, 2017 | 590 | ± 4.0% | 50% | 45% | – | – | 5% |
Emerson College[127] | September 21–23, 2017 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 52% | 30% | – | – | 18% |
Emerson College[133] | September 8–9, 2017 | 416 | ± 4.8% | 44% | 40% | – | – | 16% |
- * Unpublished poll released on December 15
with Roy Moore on ballot and Luther Strange as write-in candidate:
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Roy Moore (R) | Doug Jones (D) | Luther Strange (R) | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opinion Savvy[428] | November 9, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 41% | 44% | 12% | 1% | 2% |
with Luther Strange on ballot:
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Luther Strange (R) | Doug Jones (D) | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox News[429] | November 13–15, 2017 | 649 LV | ± 3.5% | 38% | 48% | 3% | 5% |
823 RV | ± 3.0% | 39% | 46% | 3% | 6% | ||
Emerson College[430] | September 21–23, 2017 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 49% | 36% | – | 15% |
Emerson College[431] | September 8–9, 2017 | 416 | ± 4.8% | 43% | 40% | – | 17% |
with generic Republican/Democrat
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Generic Republican | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington Post/Schar School[432] | November 27–30, 2017 | 739 | ± 4.5% | 50% | 44% | 6% |
JMC Analytics (R)[433] | November 27–28, 2017 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 46% | 3% |
JMC Analytics (R)[434] | November 9–11, 2017 | 575 | ± 4.1% | 45% | 47% | 8% |
JMC Analytics (R)[435] | September 30 – October 1, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 45% | 6% |
Results
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/2017_United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Alabama_turnout_map_by_county.svg/220px-2017_United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Alabama_turnout_map_by_county.svg.png)
At 9:23 p.m. CST on December 12, 2017, the Associated Press called the election for Jones; however, Moore refused to concede.[14][15] Jones was the first Democratic candidate to win a statewide election in Alabama since former lieutenant governor Lucy Baxley was elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2008.[436] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, becoming the first Democratic U.S. senator from Alabama since Howell Heflin left office in 1997.[16]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Doug Jones | 673,896 | 49.97% | +49.97% | |
Republican | Roy Moore | 651,972 | 48.34% | −48.91% | |
Write-in | 22,852 | 1.69% | −1.06% | ||
Total votes | 1,348,720 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
By congressional district
[edit]Despite losing the state, Moore won 6 of 7 congressional districts.[439]
District | Moore | Jones | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 50% | 48% | Bradley Byrne |
2nd | 53% | 45% | Martha Roby |
3rd | 51% | 48% | Mike Rogers |
4th | 68% | 30% | Robert Aderholt |
5th | 48.8% | 48.7% | Mo Brooks |
6th | 53% | 45% | Gary Palmer |
7th | 20% | 79% | Terri Sewell |
Results by county
[edit]Doug Jones | Roy Moore | Write-ins | Total votes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Turnout | % |
Autauga | 5,615 | 38.38% | 8,762 | 59.90% | 253 | 1.73% | 14,630 | 38.32% |
Baldwin | 22,261 | 35.60% | 38,566 | 61.68% | 1,703 | 2.72% | 62,530 | 42.74% |
Barbour | 3,716 | 57.53% | 2,702 | 41.83% | 41 | 0.63% | 6,459 | 38.35% |
Bibb | 1,567 | 29.95% | 3,599 | 68.79% | 66 | 1.26% | 5,232 | 38.32% |
Blount | 2,408 | 16.94% | 11,631 | 81.80% | 180 | 1.27% | 14,219 | 37.45% |
Bullock | 2,715 | 80.37% | 656 | 19.42% | 7 | 0.21% | 3,378 | 45.53% |
Butler | 2,915 | 51.02% | 2,758 | 48.27% | 41 | 0.72% | 5,714 | 42.36% |
Calhoun | 12,331 | 44.04% | 15,238 | 54.43% | 429 | 1.53% | 27,998 | 36.18% |
Chambers | 4,257 | 55.75% | 3,312 | 43.37% | 67 | 0.88% | 7,636 | 32.42% |
Cherokee | 1,529 | 27.09% | 4,006 | 70.98% | 109 | 1.93% | 5,644 | 33.00% |
Chilton | 2,306 | 23.06% | 7,563 | 75.62% | 132 | 1.32% | 10,001 | 35.42% |
Choctaw | 2,277 | 53.66% | 1,949 | 45.93% | 17 | 0.40% | 4,243 | 40.10% |
Clarke | 4,363 | 51.93% | 3,995 | 47.55% | 43 | 0.51% | 8,401 | 43.96% |
Clay | 990 | 27.52% | 2,589 | 71.96% | 19 | 0.53% | 3,598 | 36.92% |
Cleburne | 600 | 19.37% | 2,468 | 79.66% | 30 | 0.97% | 3,098 | 29.47% |
Coffee | 3,730 | 31.10% | 8,063 | 67.22% | 202 | 1.68% | 11,995 | 36.52% |
Colbert | 6,881 | 46.41% | 7,771 | 52.41% | 171 | 1.15% | 14,828 | 37.75% |
Conecuh | 2,259 | 55.21% | 1,815 | 44.35% | 18 | 0.44% | 4,092 | 39.84% |
Coosa | 1,415 | 42.71% | 1,867 | 56.39% | 30 | 0.91% | 3,312 | 41.42% |
Covington | 2,107 | 23.33% | 6,835 | 75.69% | 88 | 0.97% | 9,030 | 35.09% |
Crenshaw | 1,320 | 35.46% | 2,347 | 63.04% | 56 | 1.50% | 3,725 | 37.66% |
Cullman | 4,161 | 19.73% | 16,609 | 78.74% | 324 | 1.54% | 21,094 | 37.61% |
Dale | 3,844 | 35.04% | 6,991 | 63.72% | 136 | 1.24% | 10,971 | 34.87% |
Dallas | 10,503 | 74.75% | 3,487 | 24.82% | 60 | 0.43% | 14,050 | 44.88% |
DeKalb | 3,559 | 25.62% | 10,097 | 72.69% | 234 | 1.68% | 13,890 | 34.31% |
Elmore | 7,711 | 34.33% | 14,415 | 64.16% | 338 | 1.50% | 22,464 | 41.34% |
Escambia | 3,642 | 41.78% | 4,987 | 57.22% | 87 | 1.00% | 8,716 | 35.39% |
Etowah | 10,568 | 40.34% | 15,730 | 60.04% | 620 | 2.37% | 26,918 | 38.57% |
Fayette | 1,143 | 24.39% | 3,491 | 74.55% | 50 | 1.07% | 4,684 | 38.40% |
Franklin | 1,771 | 29.34% | 4,216 | 69.86% | 48 | 0.80% | 6,035 | 33.50% |
Geneva | 1,290 | 18.92% | 5,433 | 79.72% | 93 | 1.37% | 6,816 | 37.84% |
Greene | 3,345 | 87.64% | 462 | 12.12% | 9 | 0.24% | 3,816 | 53.89% |
Hale | 3,902 | 69.33% | 1,691 | 30.11% | 32 | 0.57% | 5,625 | 46.26% |
Henry | 1,899 | 38.32% | 3,015 | 60.91% | 38 | 0.77% | 4,952 | 39.20% |
Houston | 9,198 | 37.81% | 14,846 | 61.02% | 285 | 1.17% | 24,329 | 34.18% |
Jackson | 3,330 | 30.82% | 7,317 | 67.75% | 154 | 1.43% | 10,801 | 29.44% |
Jefferson | 149,759 | 68.13% | 66,350 | 30.18% | 3,716 | 1.69% | 219,825 | 47.38% |
Lamar | 779 | 21.31% | 2,847 | 77.89% | 29 | 0.79% | 3,655 | 34.46% |
Lauderdale | 9,970 | 43.02% | 12,818 | 55.31% | 388 | 1.67% | 23,176 | 37.53% |
Lawrence | 3,033 | 36.04% | 5,321 | 63.23% | 61 | 0.72% | 8,415 | 35.49% |
Lee | 19,886 | 57.61% | 14,059 | 40.73% | 674 | 1.95% | 34,519 | 32.90% |
Limestone | 9,606 | 39.19% | 14,298 | 58.33% | 515 | 2.10% | 24,514 | 41.18% |
Lowndes | 3,783 | 79.08% | 988 | 20.65% | 13 | 0.27% | 4,784 | 47.14% |
Macon | 5,783 | 88.14% | 759 | 11.56% | 20 | 0.30% | 6,567 | 37.70% |
Madison | 65,997 | 56.98% | 46,381 | 40.04% | 3,447 | 2.98% | 115,825 | 45.68% |
Marengo | 4,498 | 61.11% | 2,805 | 38.11% | 62 | 0.84% | 7,361 | 46.01% |
Marion | 1,311 | 19.72% | 5,269 | 79.25% | 68 | 1.02% | 6,647 | 32.82% |
Marshall | 5,145 | 26.47% | 13,842 | 71.21% | 450 | 2.32% | 19,437 | 34.22% |
Mobile | 62,716 | 56.46% | 46,828 | 42.15% | 1,546 | 1.39% | 111,090 | 38.55% |
Monroe | 3,266 | 49.59% | 3,280 | 49.80% | 40 | 0.61% | 6,586 | 40.79% |
Montgomery | 48,374 | 72.35% | 17,739 | 26.53% | 745 | 1.11% | 66,858 | 44.05% |
Morgan | 10,935 | 35.48% | 19,215 | 62.34% | 671 | 2.18% | 30,821 | 40.28% |
Perry | 3,140 | 79.04% | 821 | 20.68% | 11 | 0.28% | 3,972 | 48.70% |
Pickens | 3,064 | 50.44% | 2,965 | 48.81% | 46 | 0.76% | 6,075 | 44.18% |
Pike | 4,015 | 48.51% | 4,165 | 50.32% | 97 | 1.17% | 8,277 | 37.58% |
Randolph | 1,695 | 34.25% | 3,231 | 65.29% | 23 | 0.46% | 4,949 | 29.66% |
Russell | 6,761 | 64.77% | 3,622 | 34.70% | 55 | 0.53% | 10,438 | 28.52% |
Shelby | 27,311 | 41.71% | 36,455 | 55.67% | 1,718 | 2.62% | 65,484 | 45.63% |
St. Clair | 6,212 | 27.43% | 15,889 | 70.15% | 459 | 2.03% | 22,560 | 38.05% |
Sumter | 3,527 | 80.91% | 814 | 18.67% | 18 | 0.41% | 4,359 | 43.95% |
Talladega | 9,977 | 50.13% | 9,701 | 48.75% | 223 | 1.12% | 19,901 | 37.45% |
Tallapoosa | 4,605 | 38.59% | 7,179 | 60.16% | 150 | 1.26% | 11,934 | 40.19% |
Tuscaloosa | 30,869 | 57.23% | 22,067 | 40.91% | 1,007 | 1.87% | 53,943 | 40.83% |
Walker | 4,330 | 26.20% | 11,938 | 72.23% | 259 | 1.57% | 16,527 | 35.19% |
Washington | 1,805 | 34.86% | 3,325 | 64.21% | 48 | 0.93% | 5,178 | 39.78% |
Wilcox | 3,345 | 76.74% | 1,000 | 22.94% | 16 | 0.37% | 4,359 | 46.94% |
Winston | 911 | 16.10% | 4,681 | 82.71% | 67 | 1.18% | 5,659 | 35.80% |
Totals | 673,896 | 49.97% | 651,972 | 48.34% | 22,852 | 1.69% | 1,348,720 | 100.00% |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]- Barbour (largest city: Eufaula)
- Butler (largest city: Greenville)
- Chambers (largest city: Valley)
- Choctaw (largest town: Butler)
- Clarke (largest city: Jackson)
- Conecuh (largest city: Evergreen)
- Lee (largest city: Auburn)
- Madison (largest city: Huntsville)
- Mobile (largest city: Mobile)
- Pickens (largest city: Aliceville)
- Talladega (largest city: Talladega)
- Tuscaloosa (largest city: Tuscaloosa)
- Jefferson (largest municipality: Birmingham)
- Marengo (largest municipality: Linden)
- Sumter (largest municipality: Livingston)
- Greene (largest municipality: Eutaw)
- Hale (largest municipality: Moundville)
- Perry (largest municipality: Marion)
- Dallas (largest municipality: Selma)
- Wilcox (largest municipality: Camden)
- Lowndes (largest municipality: Fort Deposit)
- Montgomery (largest municipality: Montgomery)
- Macon (largest municipality: Tuskegee)
- Bullock (largest municipality: Union Springs)
- Russell (largest city: Phenix City)
Analysis
[edit]External videos | |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Doug_Jones_election_watch_party_%2839007876972%29.jpg/220px-Doug_Jones_election_watch_party_%2839007876972%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Alabama_Senate_special_election%2C_2017_write-ins_by_county.svg/220px-Alabama_Senate_special_election%2C_2017_write-ins_by_county.svg.png)
Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore by a margin of 21,924 votes. Voter turnout was 40.54% of Alabama's 3,326,812[440] registered voters.
Jones won primarily by running up huge margins in the state's major cities, as well as winning 96% of African American voters. The state's four largest counties—Jefferson (home to the state's largest city of Birmingham), Mobile (home to Mobile), Madison (home to Huntsville), and Montgomery (home to the state capital of Montgomery)—all gave Jones 56 percent or more of the vote. He carried Jefferson by over 83,800 votes, and Montgomery by almost 30,500 votes; either county would have been more than enough to give him the victory. Jones also dominated the Black Belt. Jones won 61% of votes from voters under 45, and 51% of independent voters. While Moore dominated the state's rural areas outside of the Black Belt, he significantly underperformed Trump's totals in those areas, as well as the suburbs such as traditional GOP fortress Shelby County, which Moore won by a small margin.[441]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/DSCC_fundraising_off_of_2017_Alabama_special_election_victory_%284%29.jpg/220px-DSCC_fundraising_off_of_2017_Alabama_special_election_victory_%284%29.jpg)
As of December 15, Moore demanded a recount and refused to concede the race, despite being urged by Trump, Bannon, and others to concede. In Alabama, if the final margin of victory is less than 0.5%, then a recount is automatically triggered. If not, then either candidate can request a recount at their own expense.[442][443] However, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill estimated that a recount could cost anywhere from $1 million to $1.5 million, an amount that would have had to be paid in full when the request is made. Moore had only $636,046 on hand by the time the campaign ended.[444] A number of right-leaning websites pushed conspiracy theories about voter fraud providing the margin for Jones.[445] Merrill noted on December 20 that the only outstanding ballots were 366 military ballots and 4,967 provisional ballots; even if all those votes were for Moore, it would not have been enough to trigger an automatic recount.[446]
Because the number of write-in votes was larger than Jones' margin of victory, the names written in were both counted and listed.[447] Luther Strange, who lost the Republican primary to Moore, received the most write-in votes, followed by former White House aide Lee Busby, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who also ran in the Republican Senate primary, Libertarian write-in candidate Ron Bishop, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Nick Saban, Alabama's head coach, finished in seventh with more than 250 votes.[448]
After the election, Moore filed a lawsuit attempting to block the state from certifying the election and calling for an investigation into voter fraud. On December 28, 2017, a judge dismissed this lawsuit and state officials certified the election results, officially declaring Doug Jones the winner.[449] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, by Vice President Mike Pence.[16] Jones became the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Alabama since former lieutenant governor Lucy Baxley was elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2008 over Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.[436] Prior to that, Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. was elected Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2006 over Republican Luther Strange.[450] The last Democrat to win a federal statewide election in Alabama was Richard Shelby in 1992, who switched to the Republican Party in late 1994.[451]
Voter demographics
[edit]Demographic subgroup | Jones | Moore | % of Voters | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | ||||
Men | 42 | 56 | 49 | |
Women | 57 | 41 | 51 | |
Age | ||||
18–24 years old | 59 | 40 | 8 | |
25–29 years old | 62 | 35 | 5 | |
30–39 years old | 66 | 32 | 12 | |
40–49 years old | 53 | 46 | 20 | |
50–64 years old | 46 | 53 | 32 | |
65 and older | 40 | 59 | 23 | |
Race | ||||
White | 30 | 68 | 66 | |
Black | 96 | 4 | 29 | |
Race by gender | ||||
White men | 26 | 72 | 35 | |
White women | 34 | 63 | 31 | |
Black men | 93 | 6 | 11 | |
Black women | 98 | 2 | 17 | |
Education | ||||
High school or less | 44 | 56 | 20 | |
Some college education | 46 | 50 | 36 | |
College degree | 52 | 46 | 28 | |
Advanced degree | 58 | 39 | 16 | |
Party ID | ||||
Democrats | 98 | 2 | 37 | |
Republicans | 8 | 91 | 43 | |
Independents | 51 | 43 | 21 | |
Ideology | ||||
Liberals | 86 | 14 | 23 | |
Moderates | 74 | 25 | 31 | |
Conservatives | 15 | 83 | 45 | |
Children under 18 in your home? | ||||
Yes | 56 | 42 | 35 | |
No | 49 | 50 | 65 | |
Are sexual misconduct allegations against Moore: | ||||
Definitely True | 97 | 2 | 26 | |
Probably True | 82 | 15 | 26 | |
Probably False | 3 | 95 | 27 | |
Definitely False | 7 | 93 | 15 | |
When did you decide your vote? | ||||
Last few days | 38 | 57 | 12 | |
Earlier in December | 47 | 50 | 9 | |
In November | 53 | 46 | 21 | |
Before November | 53 | 46 | 57 | |
Area type | ||||
Urban | 85 | 14 | 20 | |
Suburban | 47 | 51 | 38 | |
Rural | 36 | 62 | 42 | |
Source: CNN[452] |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ In February 2017, Strange was appointed by Governor Robert J. Bentley to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Jeff Sessions, who had appointed U.S. attorney general.
References
[edit]- ^ "Unofficial Election Night Result". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b "Governor Ivey Moves US Senate Special Election to Adhere with State Law" (Press release). Office of the Governor of Alabama. April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Bloch, Matthew; Lee, Jasmine (August 15, 2017). "Alabama Election Results: Two Republicans Advance, Democrat Wins in U.S. Senate Primaries". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ a b Ball, Molly. "The Alabama Senate Race Gets Moore Strange", The Atlantic (August 16, 2017).
- ^ a b "Sexual misconduct accusations transform Alabama Senate race", Associated Press via ABC News (November 10, 2017): "Virtually the entire Republican establishment — including President Donald Trump — opposed Moore's primary bid in September."
- ^ a b c Scherer, Michael. "Moore wins Republican Senate primary, dealing blow to GOP establishment" (September 27, 2017): "He also won despite a last-minute push by Trump for Strange that included a barrage of late tweets and a rally Friday in Alabama."
- ^ a b Strauss, Daniel. "Moore crushes Strange in Alabama Senate primary", Politico (September 26, 2017).
- ^ a b McCrummen, Stephanie; Crites, Alice; Reinhard, Beth (November 9, 2017). "Woman says Roy Moore initiated sexual encounter when she was 14, he was 32". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Tillett, Emily (November 13, 2017). "New accuser steps forward in Roy Moore case – live updates". CBS News.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex; Debenedetti, Gabriel (November 10, 2017). "Moore defiant as Senate Republicans sever ties". Politico. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ Sullivan, Sean (November 14, 2017). "Paul Ryan joins GOP calls for Roy Moore to end campaign amid sexual misconduct allegations". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ Sullivan, Sean; Viebeck, Elise (November 13, 2017). "McConnell calls on Roy Moore to end Senate campaign following accusations of sexual misconduct". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
- ^ Berenson, Tessa (November 10, 2017). "All the Ways Alabama Republicans Are Defending Roy Moore". Time. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Chandler, Kim; Peoples, Steve (December 12, 2017). "Jones wins in stunning Alabama upset". Associated Press. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Sean; Weigel, David; Fahrenthold, David A. (December 12, 2017). "Doug Jones declared victor in Alabama race for Senate; Roy Moore may seek recount". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Doug Jones swearing-in: Watch live as Senate seats new Alabama member". Al.com. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ "Sessions' Nomination Sets Off Political Jockeying for Alabama Senate Seat". Roll Call. November 18, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
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