Former White House chief strategist and current Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon says he’s backing former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in Alabama’s upcoming GOP Senate primary runoff.
Bannon announced he was backing the former judge over President Donald Trump‘s pick, incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, during a closed-door meeting with influential conservatives of the Conservative Action Project in Washington, D.C. last week.
According to POLITICO, “Bannon made it clear that he supported Moore, a favorite among evangelicals, but was careful not to cast it as a break with the president. Rather, he said, it was an act of opposition toward Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is supporting Strange and has made the race a top political priority.”
Strange was appointed to the seat in February by former Gov. Robert Bentley following the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is currently serving as a temporary Senate appointment. Both candidates are competing to fill out the remainder of Sessions’ 6-year term through 2020.
A week ahead of the Aug. 15 primary, Trump took to Twitter and endorsed the sitting senator.
“Senator Luther Strange has done a great job representing the people of the Great State of Alabama. He has my complete and total endorsement!,” Trump tweeted.
Senator Luther Strange has done a great job representing the people of the Great State of Alabama. He has my complete and total endorsement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017
Bannon’s endorsement now follows the state’s Aug. 15 Republican primary in which Moore and Strange first faced-off. Neither secured enough votes to advance to the general election and the special runoff election between the two of them is scheduled for Sept. 26.
The winner of the runoff will advance to the general election Dec. 12.
