Alabama organizers who secured black vote warn Doug Jones to keep his word
A group of Alabama organizers who played a critical role in securing the black vote for Democrat Doug Jones in the special election earlier this month, penned an open letter to him on Friday congratulating him on his victory and calling on him to fulfill specific commitments to the constituents who put him in office. “The ticker tape for the Jones victory has barely been swept from the floor and we are already seeing him pandering to the right and stepping away from the interests of the people who elected him,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder with Cliff Albright of the Black Voters Matter Fund. “We are here to let Doug Jones know that the voters in Alabama did not turn out in mass numbers for his personal gain,” added Albright. He was elected to represent the needs of his constituents. Organizers worked hard to galvanize the black community, and we have every intention to hold him accountable.” The open letter to Doug Jones was signed by 20 Alabama organizations serving the black community and other people of color. Specifically, the letter calls on Jones to adopt intentional methods to hear directly from his constituents like listening sessions, town halls, and people assemblies. It also points to specific policy objectives such as lifting barriers to voting, ending mass incarceration, fighting tax changes that punish the poor and benefit the rich, establishing a federal living wage, defending the Affordable Care Act, and supporting environmental protections. Read the full letter below: Dear Senator-Elect Doug Jones, Congratulations on your historic victory Tuesday night. We were glad to see, based on your nationally televised comments that evening at your campaign watch party, that you are aware of the significant role that Black voters played in delivering your victory. We appreciate the thanks that you’ve expressed, but we wanted to take a moment to communicate that the best way for you to show your thanks will be through your legislative actions. Like you, we regret that Roy Moore refused to participate in debates during the campaign. Such debates would have provided an opportunity for you to clarify how you would differ from him and the current Republican majority in the Senate. Unfortunately, we are faced with the challenge of holding you accountable without many specifics on which to base that accountability. With that in mind, we request that you begin a process of seeking feedback from the community and outlining a prioritized agenda for the remainder of your term. Such discussions should include feedback on how your congressional office is staffed. This process can include listening sessions, town hall meetings, people’s assemblies or other mechanisms. Given the abbreviated nature of your term, it is critical that this begin sooner rather than later. We are not naïve, and we know that in a traditionally red state which you narrowly won, the temptation will be to shift to the right to attract “moderate” Republican voters. Indeed, your television commercial which spoke of the Civil War and compromise spoke volumes. With that in mind, we’d like to remind you of just a few of the things that Black voters who gave you 96% support have no interest in compromising on. We expect that the Senator from the great state of Alabama, which gave birth to the Voting Rights Act, will advocate for its full restoration and, if anything, it’s further strengthening. The scourge of obstacles such as felony disenfranchisement, Voter ID and other forms of voter suppression are far too common, and we expect you to speak to these issue Speaking of felonies, we expect that you will fight for an end to mass incarceration, and resist current efforts by the Trump administration to revisit a drug war that amounted to a war on the Black community. In a state that has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, we expect you to fight against any tax legislation that benefits the wealthiest individuals in the country while penalizing poor and working-class families. We also expect you to fight for a federal living wage and/or to support local efforts to do the same, such as in the city of Birmingham. We expect you to defend and expand the Affordable Care Act. And while we understand that you do not control Alabama’s utilization of the act and the expansion of Medicaid, we expect you to use your position of influence to ensure that as many Alabamians as possible obtain affordable health insurance. We like that you believe in science and that you understand that clean air and clean water are essential to our quality of life. We expect you to also recognize and address the disparate impact that these issues have on marginalized communities which are often targets of environmental racism. We understand that some of these issues and others were mentioned on your campaign website, and that you have promised to “keep fighting for what’s right – whether it’s popular or not.” We are hopeful that you will indeed stay the course, and we only want this letter to serve as a friendly reminder. Sincerely, Your Constituents Anna Thomas (Jefferson County/Statewide) Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice; Sheila Tyson (Jefferson County/Statewide) Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Esther Calhoun (Perry County) Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice; Teresa Bettis (Mobile County) Center for Fair Housing, Inc; John Zippert Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Greene County Democrat (Newspaper); Dr. Elaine Harrington NAACP Tuskegee-Macon; Mia Raven (Montgomery County) POWER House; Montgomery Area Reproductive Justice Coalition; Rev. Kenny Glasgow (Houston County/Statewide) The Ordinary People’s Society (TOPS); The Prodigal Child Project ; Sheena Billingsley (Mobile) Making a Difference (MAD Activists); Michael Jackson (Houston County) DuBois Institute for Entrepreneurship; Letetia Daniels Jackson (Houston County) Tandeka LLC AL Black Women’s Roundtable Rev. Gregory Bentley SCLC Huntsville Rev. Tyshawn Gardner SCLC Tuscaloosa Ainka Jackson (Dallas County) Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth and Reconciliation Roselyn Simmons (Lowndes County) Stand Firm Shun Sheffield (Jefferson County) Fight Back Alabama
Senator-elect Doug Jones launches transition website, accepts resumes for team
Doug Jones became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama in a quarter of a century earlier this month when he bested former Alabama Chief Justice, Republican Roy Moore in a special election. On Friday, Jones launched his temporary campaign website where job-seekers can apply for positions on his team. While the site doesn’t outline specific positions the Senator-elect is looking to fill, it does allow applicants to apply via email. Members of the public may also make scheduling requests on the site.
Doug Jones already helping national Dems’ fundraising efforts
Less than a week after scoring an upset victory in the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, Democrat Doug Jones is already at work repaying the Democratic Party for campaigning on his behalf. On Tuesday, the Senator-elect sent an email to former Vice President Joe Biden‘s own political action committee (PAC) to help raise funds that will be dispensed to Democratic candidates in 2018. The group, “American Possibilities PAC” is capitalizing on Jones’ victory, which has motivated Dems across the country to open their wallets to help take back the U.S. Senate and whittle down the GOP’s power in the House. Read Jones’ full email below: Just about 41 years ago, while I was a law student, I had the opportunity to introduce a U.S. Senator who’d traveled down to our school to give a speech. His name was Joe Biden. Since that moment, I’ve had the pleasure of calling him my friend. And a week ago today, after the people of Alabama turned out to vote and I learned that I would be our state’s next senator, he was one of the first people who called me. I have to tell you, when I first took that stage after having been declared Senator-Elect, I almost didn’t know what the hell to say. But I found my words, and I sure have them now. Thank you. Thank you to my wife. My family. Thank you to the millions of Alabamians who believed in me enough to give that most sacred gesture of confidence our democracy guarantees us: A vote. Thank you to my friends — both those I’ve met on the trail these past months, and old friends, too, like Joe. And thank you, Apryl Marie. Thank you for letting Joe know that you believed in me. That you wanted your donations to help support our campaign. Thank you. The work you do here, with Joe Biden, matters. When you speak up, when you share the local leaders that you believe in — not only does this outfit hear that feedback, they listen to it. They make decisions based on what you say. I’ll tell you, that’s not how most political organizations work in this country. But it should be. So, let’s keep going. Keep speaking up. Keep talking to your friends, your family, your neighbors, about the qualities you’d like to see in a new wave of American leadership. And, if you can, give to the organization that’s going to continue to work to change the face of leadership all around this country — city by city, district by district, and state by state. I have always believed that the people of Alabama have more in common than what divides us. Last Tuesday proves it. It will be one of the greatest honors of my life to represent the people of Alabama in the United States Senate. Thank you. Let’s go do some work. -Doug
Jimmy Buffett serenades Doug Jones post-Alabama Senate victory
Singer Jimmy Buffett serenaded Alabama Senantor-elect Doug Jones and his wife, Louise, in Key West, Fla., on Saturday, just days after Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a historic upset. Jones and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary at Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant. There, Buffett, a Mobile-native himself, sang “Stars Fell on Alabama” to the duo. “Dec. 12 has always been a historic day for the Jones family,” Jones said during his victory speech on Tuesday. “This is, as you know, mine and Louise’s 25th wedding anniversary. I couldn’t have done this without her. The love, the support, the encouragement.” Buffett posted a photo of the event on his Instagram. Watch a video of the special concert below:
Roy Moore refuses to concede, saying ‘immorality sweeps over our land’
Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore refused to concede the special U.S. Senate election in a fiery video statement released Wednesday night, warning Alabamians “the heart and soul of our country is at stake.” “Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty,” the former Republican candidate said. “Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Moore lost the election to Democrat Doug Jones Tuesday night, but in the video, Moore said his campaign is still waiting for the official vote count from Alabama officials. But Moore believes that provisional and military ballots could still swing the race in his favor. “This has been a very close race and we are awaiting certification by the Secretary of State,” Moore Said in the video. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has said it is “highly unlikely” that Jones would not be certified as the winner, given the unofficial results: — Jones received 671,151 votes (50 percent), to Moore’s 650,436 votes (48 percent). With an additional 22,819 (2 percent) write-ins. The Moore campaign can call for a recount, but would have to pay for it unless the margin is within half a percentage point. In the video, Moore went on to assert the political process has been “tainted” by “baseless” allegations and money from outside groups. “Immorality sweeps over our land. Even our political process has been affected with baseless and false allegations, which have become more relevant than the true issues which affect our country,” Moore said in the four minute and 46 second video. “This election was tainted by over $50 million from outside groups who want to retain power in their own corrupt ideology.” Watch Moore’s statement below: Read Moore’s full remarks below: Tomorrow, my wife and I will celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary. I want to thank her and all my family, for standing with me through this long and arduous campaign. And of course, I want to thank all of you who have stood with me in this very important battle for the future of our country. We are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization, and our religion and to set free a suffering humanity. And the battle rages on. In this race, we have not received the final count to include military and provisional ballots. This has been a very close race and we are awaiting certification by the Secretary of State. This particular race was watched not only by the people of this state, but by the entire nation, and many around the world. Why? Because I believe the heart and soul of our country is at stake. Like most Americans I am concerned about the future of our country – both financially and morally. After the election of Donald Trump, a little over a year ago I saw a window of hope and an opportunity that we could return to our founding principles and the Constitution of the United States which has governed us for over 200 years. Our forefathers recognized in the Declaration of Independence that all men and women are created equal and endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That American Dream has today been tainted by corrupt politics, and a government which is become out of control and out of touch with the people. Many do not share the vision of those who built this country. Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty. Abortion, sodomy, and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “We have been the recipient of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved in many years in peace and prosperity, we have grown in number, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown, but we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied, enriched and strengthened us and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts that all of these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom or virtue of our own.” We have stopped prayer in our schools. We have killed over 60 million of our unborn children. We have redefined marriage and destroyed the basis of family, which is the building block of our Country. Our borders are not secure. Our economy is faltering under an enormous national debt. We have a huge drug problem. We have even begun to recognize the right of a man to claim to be a woman, and vice versa. We have allowed Judges and justices to rule over our Constitution, and we have become slaves to their tyranny. Immorality sweeps over our land. Even our political process has been affected with baseless and false allegations which have become more relevant than the issues which affect our country. This election was tainted by over $50 million dollars from outside groups who want to retain power and their corrupt ideology. No longer is this about Republican or Democratic control. It has truly been said that there is not a dime’s worth of difference between them. It is about a Washington establishment which will not listen to the cries of its citizenry – and the battle rages on. Together we must stand against those who would take from us our Country. In the words of the Holy Scripture: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand.” The sacrifices of brave men and women throughout our history cry out to us, the living, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
John Merrill says recount in Ala. Senate race unlikely to help Roy Moore
Secretary of State of Alabama John Merrill told CNN’s Jake Tapper it was “highly unlikely” that Democrat Doug Jones would not be certified as the winner of Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate seat. “I would find that highly unlikely to occur, Jake,” Merrill told Tapper when asked whether he expected anyone other than Jones to be Alabama’s next Senator. “The people of Alabama have spoken tonight,” Merrill told CNN. “They’ve made their voice heard loud and clear. The most important thing to remember now is the process needs to be followed to ensure that the integrity, the safety and security of the election is preserved.” Merrill’s on-air comments came late Tuesday night in the wake of Jones’ Republican opponent, Roy Moore telling his supporters he isn’t conceding yet. “When the vote is this close … it’s not over,” Moore told supporters late Tuesday night after Jones declared victory. Merrill made it very clear that an automatic recount had not been triggered based on the numbers between the two candidates Tuesday night — Jones receiving 671,151 votes (50 percent), to Moore’s 650,436 votes (48 percent). With an additional 22,819 (2 percent) write-ins. He confirmed with CNN that any candidate can request a recount, if they pay for it on their own. But he personally believes it’s very unlikely Tuesday night’s results would change. Merrill must now certify the votes, which includes counting provisional and military ballots. He said the certification process will start no earlier than December 26, and not later than Jan. 3. Pending completion of the certification, Moore’s campaign may request a recount.
Outside groups react to Doug Jones defeating Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race
News outlets reported late Tuesday night that Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore in Alabama’s special election for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Democrat emerged victorious in the deeply conservative, red state over Republican Moore, whose campaign was embroiled with allegations of sexual misconduct involving underage girls over 30 years ago. Here’s what outside groups are saying of Jones’ victory: Southern Poverty Law Center | President Richard Cohen: It’s a great day for Alabama. We’ve seen through the demagoguery of a man who has been kicked out of office twice for putting his religious beliefs above the U.S. Constitution. We’ve seen through the hypocrisy of a man who has preyed on young girls while suggesting that gays and lesbians should be executed in order to protect children from them. It’s a great day for every person in Alabama who rejects bigotry and values the rule of law. House Majority PAC | Executive Director Charlie Kelly: Congratulations to Senator-Elect Doug Jones on a tremendous victory in Alabama. In what was deemed an improbable win, voters across Alabama sent a loud and clear message that will resonate across the country—the politics of progress and solutions defeated the politics of hate and division. Moreover, it’s clear that voters are tired of the failed policies pushed by Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. While Doug Jones put forward a thoughtful, results-oriented agenda focused on lifting up hardworking Alabama families, Roy Moore ran a negative, dishonest, scandal ridden campaign focused on bitterness and stoking cultural divides. This victory proves that voters won’t stand for the toxic policies and divisive rhetoric pushed by a candidate like Roy Moore and a Republican party that supported his appalling campaign. People For the American Way | President Michael Keegan: Tonight, Alabamans emphatically rejected Roy Moore’s long history of extremism—and they rejected a candidate running hard on the Donald Trump playbook. Today’s election is a victory for the country, a victory for the people of Alabama, a victory for basic decency and a victory for the women who were attacked and smeared simply for standing up and telling their stories. … Doug Jones should be congratulated on his win tonight. And we should take note of the fact that he did it by standing up for his values, not running from them. That’s the path that’s going to help Democrats in 2018 and in 2020. Democracy for America | Executive Director Charles Chamberlain: Doug Jones’ victory tonight in deep-red Alabama isn’t just a crushing blow to Donald Trump’s agenda of bigotry, hate, and division, it’s a powerful reminder that progressives can win everywhere if we stand up for an inclusive populist political agenda and build campaigns that prioritize, energize, and mobilize the new American majority of Black, brown, and progressive white voters. Any Republican who thinks they dodged a bullet by having the sexist, racist, and homophobic child predator their party nominated lose in the general election needs to have their head examined. Roy Moore’s candidacy and the Republican Party’s willingness to aid it has exposed a gaping wound of depraved moral indifference and political hypocrisy within the GOP that no single loss can cauterize.
Politicians weigh-in as Doug Jones wins Alabama Senate seat
Doug Jones became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama in a quarter of a century on Tuesday night when he bested former Alabama Chief Justice, Republican Roy Moore. Following Jones’ victory, politicians from both sides of the aisle took to social to weigh-in on the results. See their reactions below: Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: Honored to welcome the Alabama Senator-elect Doug Jones to the United States Senate!! #RightsideofHistory 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton: Tonight, Alabama voters elected a senator who’ll make them proud. And if Democrats can win in Alabama, we can — and must — compete everywhere. Onward! Democratic U.S. Sen. from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren: Tonight Alabama is sending a powerful message across the country. The American people will fight back against bigotry, hate &, yes, pedophilia – & reject a man totally unfit to serve in the US Senate. Republican, Democrat, Independent – on this, there will be no compromise. Republican U.S. Sen. from Arizona Jeff Flake: Decency wins. Republican Gov. of Ohio John Kasich: Thankfully, today enough Republicans chose country over party. Tomorrow we must redouble our efforts to support candidates worthy of the office they seek. #TwoPaths California 43rd District U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters: How many diet cokes did Trump consume while he gulped and waited for the defeat of his pedophile candidate?? #swishswish Democratic U.S. Sen. from New York Chuck Schumer: Roy Moore was an awful candidate & should never have gotten to the Senate. But make no mistake, just like in VA, Dems are energized, focused more on the middle class & those struggling to get there, & things are looking better & better for 2018. Doug Jones will be an outstanding Senator who will represent Alabama well. He was a great candidate and will be an even better Senator. Former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden: Doug Jones. Thank you, Alabama. You’ve elected a man of incredible integrity, grit, and character. A fighter for working class and middle class Alabamians. He is going to make you proud in the Senate.
Fox News, AP calls Alabama Senate race for Doug Jones
Fox News and the Associated Press have both called the Alabama special election for Doug Jones, making him the first Alabama Democrat to be elected to the U.S. Senate in nearly a quarter of a century. The once long-shot Democrat bested his opponent Republican Roy Moore following a tumultuous campaign season. He had 49.6 percent of the vote when The Associated Press called the race with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Moore, a former Alabama chief justice, had 48.8 percent Jones’ win shrinks the Republicans majority to 51 seats in the Senate.
Alabama Senate election results: Roy Moore vs Doug Jones
Democrat Doug Jones has bested Republican Roy Moore in a nail-biter of an Election night in race to fill the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. As of 9:38 p.m. CT Jones has 0.8 percentage points over Moore with 93 percent of precincts fully reporting. The Associated Press called the race in favor of Jones with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Alabama is a deeply conservative, red state. But Moore has found himself under fire since The Washington Post published an explosive report on Nov. 9 with the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. Since that time, a total of nine women have levied accusations against Moore. While Moore has vehemently denied the allegations, his campaign has remained mired in controversy, creating an opening for a possible upset by Jones. Polls closed at 7 p.m. CT. Updated at 9:38 p.m. CT.
Doug Jones, Roy Moore cast their ballots in the special election
Republican Senate hopeful Roy Moore, following his Election Day tradition, rode to the polls on horseback Tuesday. Wearing a black cowboy hat, a t-shirt, and blue jeans, Moore arrived at the Gallant Volunteer Fire Department on a horse named “Sassy” to cast his ballot with his wife Kayla. Afterward he told reporters that voters “ought to go out and vote their conscience, and we’ll have a tremendous turnout.” Meanwhile, his opponent, Democratic candidate Doug Jones cast his ballot at Brookwood Baptist Church in Mountain Brook. Following his vote, he told reporters Alabamians have the chance to reject the embarrassment that Moore would bring upon the state. “In Alabama we have come so far with too many things, and there is saying: ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ Alabama is not going to let that shame happen again,” Jones said. Jones continued, “This is an important time in Alabama’s history, and we feel very confident in where we are and how this is going to turn out. More importantly, we feel so good about what we have done and what we have said to the people of Alabama and to the people of the United States.” The polls close statewide at 7:00 p.m. CT.
Angi Stalnaker: 7 brutally honest thoughts on the Senate special election
I am a political consultant with no professional involvement in the Roy Moore vs Doug Jones races, but I watch elections like a football player watches the Super Bowl and the following are the thoughts of a Republican consultant on the U.S. Senate campaign: 1. These are two very strangely run campaigns. There seems to be a lack of a cohesive strategy on both sides. Images of spaghetti noodles sliding down the walls of both campaign headquarters come to mind. 2. All campaigns are local. The Jones campaign seems to have done a great job in the last 2 weeks of organizing supporters on a county by county and, in some places, a precinct by precinct level. Democrats in Alabama have always been much better at this than Republicans. The question remains as to whether it happened too little too late for the Jones camp. If the timing was sufficient, that could make a real difference considering Moore has not pulled the trigger on his grassroots organization. 3. Beyond the scandals, the WTH moments in these campaigns have been plentiful. Steve Bannon, a media mogul and Harvard graduate who has never lived in Alabama, comes to Alabama to tell Moore voters to reject the opinions of media moguls and to reject the opinions of people who are not from Alabama and then proceeds to explain that being a Harvard graduate makes him superior to University of Alabama graduates. Ummmm… what? The Jones camp gets Barack Obama to do a robocall, but obviously has a bad phone list because they called several long term Republicans which did nothing but serve to ensure that those voters raced to the polls at 7 a.m. to cast a ballot against Jones. 4. The TV ads. At least those will be over in about 10 hours. I don’t know how many more times we can see Doug Jones standing in that monotone room before we lose it. And Moore’s ads… who decided that the creepy head turn shot was a necessity to end the Moore ads. It looked like an SNL skit gone wrong. 5. Policy. What policy? Neither candidate has said much of anything specific about policy. Beyond the surface statements of patriotism, pro-military and a few rousing renditions of God Bless America, neither campaign has done anything to let me know what their candidates actually want to do in the US Senate. This is made more bizarre by the fact that each candidate seems to believe they know what the other would do, if elected. Psychic hotline anyone? 6. Human decency took a nosedive. This campaign season has been one of the dirtiest I have ever witnessed. The only thing we are missing is allegations of, well, I don’t guess we are missing anything. It will take Alabamians a long time to get the bad taste out of their mouth from this election, regardless of the outcome. 7. The final interviews are serious WTH moments. Moore decided to wrap up his campaign with an interview from a 12 year old girl? Who in the hell thought that was a good idea? And Jones? Dude, nobody watches CNN in Alabama. Let’s all go vote and then wake up tomorrow and be glad it’s over. May 2018 have less WTH moments! ••• Angi Stalnaker is an Alabama native who, as a political consultant, has worked on numerous statewide, legislative and constitutional amendment races for conservative causes and candidates. For more information about her visit Virtus Solutions.
