Photo: Screenshot/Doug Jones video
Democrat Doug Jones scored a stunning victory over Republican Roy Moore in Alabama Senate special election on Tuesday, as voters in the deep red state reflected national sentiment against figures tainted by sexual misconduct allegations.
The election in Alabama had received national and international spotlight after Republicans first backed away from supporting Moore, who had been accused of sexually harassing teenage girls.
The White House initially said Moore needed to drop out of the race if allegations against him were true but later President Donald Trump publicly asked voters to elect the former judge. Moore has been embroiled in several controversies over the past several decades but stirs up conservative agenda to secure vote in the traditionally Republican stronghold.
By midnight, the vote count showed Jones leading by 49.9% against Moore’s 48.4%. Political observers believe Alabama women would have voted crucially in favor of Jones, although no definitive statistics are available at the moment.
Republicans now have a slim one-vote majority in the Senate, meaning the upcoming legislative battles are going to be even more intense.
President Trump congratulated Jones in a tweet after the Democrat claimed victory with votes showing him winning by a thin one percent lead, and said the GOP would bounce back very soon.
Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2017
Hailing the win, Democrats said the Alabama vote in the special election – held to replace now Attorney General Jeff Sessions – signifies a rejection of President Trump’s policies and an expression of support for the Democratic agenda.
Political analysts also anticipate the Alabama Senate election result bearing on 2018 House of Representatives election races.
Moore’s campaign had been dogged by accusations leveled by multiple women who said several decades ago, when Moore was in his 30s, he had sexually harassed them. One of the women says she was just 14, when Moore sexually harassed her. Moore has denied the allegations.
On Tuesday night Moore, appearing before his supporters, did not concede defeat in the election and said he would wait for the final result.
Moore’s defeat would mark the first Democratic Senate victory in quarter of a century in the red state.
