Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks joined a crowded Republican field vying for the the U.S. Senate formerly held by Jeff Sessions, when he announced Monday morning he will run in Alabama’s special Senate election later this year.
The three-term Congressman launched his candidacy with an email announcement, saying he is “the only candidate for the Senate who has a record of proven conservative leadership.”
“I am running for the United States Senate because America’s status as the greatest nation in world history is at risk, because Congress is failing the American people by not rising to the challenges America faces, and because I am the only candidate for the Senate who has a record of proven conservative leadership,” Brooks said.
Brooks scheduled a series of appearances across the Yellowhammer State to announce his candidacy. He began in Huntsville, with stops scheduled in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile the rest of the day.
The seat is currently held by former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange. Strange is also running for the seat.
Former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore; State Rep. Ed Henry; President of the Christian Coalition of Alabama Dr. Randy Brinson, and Birmingham businessman Dom Gentile are also running for the GOP nomination.
The deadline for candidates to qualify for the Senate run is May 17. The primary vote is August 15. The special election is December 12.
Full text of Brooks’ speech below:
I hereby announce my candidacy for the United States Senate. At the conclusion of this announcement, I will drive to the Alabama Republican headquarters in Birmingham and file my qualifying papers.
I am running for the United States Senate because America’s status as the greatest nation in world history is at risk, because Congress is failing the American people by not rising to the challenges America faces, and because I am the only candidate for the Senate who has a record of proven conservative leadership.
Let me be clear, for 75 years America has been unquestionably the greatest nation in world history.
America enjoys a standard of living that is the envy of most of the world.
America’s military prowess is unparalleled in world history.
America is a beacon of freedom for all.
America is not great because we are lucky. America is great because foundational principles have made us who we are.
First, we are a Republic, which means we, as American citizens, control our government.
Second, we enjoy a bill of rights that guarantees our freedoms are protected from abusive government power.
Third, we are a nation of moral principles that act as a compass to guide us to do the right thing.
Fourth, America enjoys a free enterprise economy that, over time, has made us the world’s greatest economic superpower.
Finally, we have been blessed by our ancestors: people who worked hard and sacrificed so that we could enjoy a better future.
But today, America is at risk. History reveals that great nations rarely fall from the outside. Rather, great nations fall because of weakness from within.
Today, America’s elections are threatened by those who oppose voter identification laws and want to allow noncitizens to vote in America elections.
Our 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms is threatened by powerful political forces that seek to disarm America.
America’s moral principles are threatened by those who seek to destroy our values and faith in God.
America’s economy is threatened by the twin evils of Socialism and deficits and debt that increasingly risk a debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy of America.
The solutions to America’s challenges are there. The roadblock to these solutions is the United States Senate.
In order to preserve America’s status as the greatest nation in world history, we must elect senators with the understanding and backbone needed to face and defeat America’s challenges.
In that vein, I offer myself as candidate for the United States Senate because I am the only candidate with a proven record of conservative leadership.
As you know, every election cycle a lot of candidates talk that talk. What distinguishes me from those candidates is that I have also walked the walk. The proof is my record of conservative leadership.
As a freshman Congressman, The United States Business and Industry Council, representing 2000 manufacturers and 200,000 American jobs, awarded me their “Fighting Freshman of the Year” award because my record was #1 out of 93 freshmen as “a stalwart defender of domestic American industry, technology, innovation, and job creation.”
That’s proven conservative leadership.
During my six years in Congress, the Club for Growth has consistently graded me in the top 20% of all Congressmen on “economic policies that strengthen our nation’s economy and shrink the size of the federal government.”
That’s proven conservative leadership.
During my six years in Congress, the National Taxpayers Union has consistently graded my record at the top of the Alabama Congressional Delegation, tied with Congressmen Bradley Byrne and Gary Palmer, on issues concerning “tax relief and reform, lower and less wasteful spending, individual liberty, and free enterprise.”
That’s proven conservative leadership.
During my six years in Congress, the American Conservative Union has graded my record in the top 20% of all Congressmen, with an overall “A” grade during the last session of Congress, on issues relating to “liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values, and strong national defense.”
That’s proven conservative leadership.
During the last session of Congress, Heritage Action, the political wing of the Heritage Foundation, ranked my record in the Top 10 of all Congressmen on “principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.”
That’s proven conservative leadership.
During my six years in Congress, NumbersUSA has graded my record a perfect 100%/A+ score in the fight to secure America’s borders and protect American families’ wages and jobs from the damage done by illegal aliens. Stated differently, over the past six years, no Congressman has had a better border security record than I have.
That’s proven conservative leadership.
Today, America’s challenges are great, perhaps the most challenging in a generation.
But, you know what? America’s challenges have always been great! We’ve faced and overcome the burning of our Capitol by the British, a civil war, slavery, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War and many, many other challenges.
There is no challenge America cannot defeat if we learn from our history and the perseverance of our ancestors.
The key is that America must remember who we are as a people. We must remember our ancestors who signed the Declaration of Independence, who risked their lives in the Revolutionary War, on the Beaches of Normandy, in Korea, in Vietnam, in Iraq, and in countless other places around the world.
We must remember and defend the foundational principles that have made us the greatest nation in world history.
That is exactly what I have done as a legislator, district attorney, county commissioner and Congressman.
And that is exactly what I will do as the next United States Senator from the Great State of Alabama!
In that vein, I humbly ask the people of Alabama for their prayers, support, and vote.
