In Alabama’s special Senate election on Tuesday night, Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator in 25 years after a controversial campaign in which Moore continued to stay in the race despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, the New York Times reports.
The election was a high stakes one for both Democrats and Republicans, as Republicans attempt to pass their tax bill, which the Senate will likely vote on next week. Following Alabama’s election, Republicans will only narrowly continue to hold a majority in the Senate, 51 to 49. Jones’s win could also pave the way to a majority in Congress for Democrats in the 2018 elections next year.
Moore was endorsed by President Trump, who rallied behind him throughout his campaign, often defending Roy Moore against allegations that he sexually assaulted women as young as 14. At one point last week, he even went as far as to basically place greater importance on passing the GOP tax bill over the multiple allegations against Moore.
Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2017
As the Huffington Post points out, despite the fact that Trump originally supported his opponent in the state primaries, Moore’s campaign mirrored Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in many ways. He refused to step down even as allegations against him came out, and he frequently accused the media for fabricating those allegations against him. (Sound familiar?)
In contrast, Jones is known for being the U.S. attorney who prosecuted Klu Klux Klan members in 1963 after they bombed a church and killed four young African-American girls.
The loss will be a difficult one for the GOP, who have typically counted on Alabama as a “red” state. Thankfully, voters used the election to send a message that someone who has been accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct does not belong in Congress. If only the same message could also reach the White House.