Mo Brooks acquires first Senate endorsement from Rand Paul in race to become Alabama’s next U.S. Senator
Congressman Mo Brooks acquired his first endorsement from the Senate Tuesday from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, according to an announcement from the Brooks campaign. Paul expressed, “I’m happy to endorse my friend Mo Brooks today for the U.S. Senate. Mo has proven time and time again he will stand up for liberty and do what he thinks is right. He will join me in fighting to lower spending, cut the size and power of government, curtail foreign aid, and stop our endless wars overseas. Mo will stand for the Bill of Rights and against the entrenched bipartisan power and big spenders in the Senate just as he has done in the House.” Brooks’ response highlighted their paralleled goals to defend liberty, freedom, and individual liberty as he replied, “I am honored by Senator Rand Paul’s endorsement and look forward to fighting with him in the U.S. Senate to limit and reverse exploding federal government growth; stop endless wars that cost too many American lives while depleting our treasury; promote and defend liberty, freedom and America’s foundational principles that have combined to make America the greatest nation in world history; and lower federal taxes so that American citizens can keep more of their hard-earned money so that they can better take care of themselves and their families.” Endorsed by President Donald Trump, the Senate Conservatives Fund, Alabama Congressman Barry Moore, and many others, Brooks is positioning himself to replace six-term Senator Richard Shelby in Alabama’s race for U.S. Senate next year. 🚨 PRESIDENT TRUMP ENDORSED MY CAMPAIGN🚨 I am honored and humbled by President Trump's strong endorsement. I ask all Americans who share our America First vision to heed and honor President Trump's request by joining our campaign >> https://t.co/ADCPfMqXqL pic.twitter.com/LpvsDcSXoh — Mo Brooks (@MoBrooks) April 7, 2021
Roy Moore picks up Senate Conservatives Fund endorsement
The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) on Tuesday announced it is supporting former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in Alabama’s U.S. Senate special election Republican primary runoff over Sen. Luther Strange on Sept. 26. The SCF, a group headed by Ken Cuccinelli — the former Virginia Attorney General and the state’s 2013 Republican gubernatorial candidate — is a national grassroots organization “that seeks to bring bold conservative leadership to Washington by supporting candidates who will fight for the timeless conservative principles of limited government, strong national defense, and traditional family values.” In the announcement of the Moore’s endorsement, Cuccinelli pointed out that an “overwhelming 97 percent” of the group’s supporters backed Moore over Strange in the runoff. “I’m proud to announce the Senate Conservatives Fund’s endorsement of Judge Roy Moore in Alabama’s special election for U.S. Senate,” Cuccinelli wrote. “After collecting feedback from our supporters in Alabama and across the nation last week, an overwhelming 97% said they thought we should endorse Roy Moore in the primary election runoff.” “Roy Moore is a proven conservative leader who will fight to cut spending, reform our nation’s tax system, secure our borders, defund Planned Parenthood, and fully repeal Obamacare,” he added. “Like President Trump, Roy Moore is a political outsider who isn’t afraid to stand up to the liberals in his own party to get results for all Americans. Unlike so many Republicans who break their promises after they are elected, Roy Moore is someone we can count on.” The winner of the primary runoff will advance to the Dec. 12 general election where he will face Democrat Doug Jones for the seat formerly held by Jeff Sessions.
Super PAC backing Luther Strange spent $1.2M this week
Committee cash is continuing to pour into support for Luther Strange a week out from the special primary election for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ former senate seat, while his rivals have seen their funding slow to a trickle. Strange and his allies have been able to pump more money into the special primary election than any other Republican, and a political committee controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cemented that this week by shelling out more than $1.2 million opposing fellow primary candidates U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore. The Senate Leadership Fund went all out, picking up online advertising and paying for TV and radio ad production in opposition of Brooks and Moore. On Tuesday alone, the committee spent $286,531 slamming Brooks and $342,927 against Moore. Unprocessed FEC records show Tuesday’s cash dump was followed up with another $650,000 in spending on Wednesday, with $500,000 of that money used to oppose Moore, who is Strange’s closest competitor in recent polls. To date, McConnell’s committee has spent a whopping $3.3 million against Brooks and $1 million against Moore. Outside money supporting Brooks clocks in at just $45,123 for the week, all of which came from the Senate Conservatives Fund, a committee founded by former South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. Outside support for Moore was even more anemic. Through the entire election cycle, FEC data shows just $36,315 in independent expenditures backing the former justice. Despite the lopsided spending, a recent poll shows Moore with a 31-29 lead over Strange in the nine-way primary race. The same poll showed Brooks with 18 percent support, followed by state Sen. Trip Pittman with 8 percent and Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson with 2 percent. Eleven percent were undecided. Unless one of the candidates can secure a majority of the vote in the Aug. 15 primary, Alabamians will have to decide between the top two vote-getters in a Sept. 26 runoff. The general election is slated for December 12.
Tea Party-aligned PAC backs Mo Brooks, blasts Mitch McConnell’s ‘false attacks’
A Tea Party-aligned super PAC is backing Rep. Mo Brooks in his Alabama U.S. Senate bid, as he attempts to push back against “false attacks” from opponents. On Thursday, Brooks announced the endorsement from Senate Conservatives Fund, founded by one time South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, was set up in 2008 to promote conservative candidates. Earlier, the Fund supported Pat Toomey in his challenge to Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, and Florida’s Marco Rubio in his first Senate bid against former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. In a statement from Brooks’ campaign, the group called Brooks a “principled conservative” with “strong grassroots support.” “We believe he is the conservative candidate with the best chance of winning a likely runoff election. If he’s elected, he will fight to defend the Second Amendment, protect the unborn, stop illegal immigration and repeal Obamacare,” the statement continues. “We’re also proud to help defend Mo Brooks against the false attacks being made by Senator Mitch McConnell and his political machine. “There is no reason why McConnell should be spending millions of dollars to mislead voters in this race and we hope conservatives come together to fight back.” In response, Brooks said: “SCF is one of the premier national conservative political organizations in America, and I’m proud to be endorsed as the conservative candidate most likely to upset the Washington establishment. “Mitch McConnell and his lobbyists and special interest group financiers are spending millions of dollars in hopes of buying Alabama’s Senate seat and keeping a principled conservative out of the Senate. “I’m confident that, with the help of patriotic, conservative groups like SCF and strong support from grassroots activists, our campaign will prevail in spite of the onslaught of attack ads that aim to deceive Alabama voters. SCF’s endorsement proves our campaign has serious momentum in this race as Election Day nears.” In what is shaping up to be a three-candidate race, Brooks faces incumbent Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore for who will serve the rest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. Strange is supported by the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Majority Leader McConnell, which has spent millions of dollars on the race. Other Republican candidates the 9-person field include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson, Mary Maxwell, Bryan Peeples and state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County. The last day for Alabama voters to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean, whoever wins the primary — either outright or in the runoff — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
