Republicans try to reclaim Alabama Senate seat from Doug Jones
Republicans in Alabama are attempting to reclaim a U.S. Senate seat that the Democrats won three years ago in the reliably red state. Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is being challenged by Republican Tommy Tuberville, who limited his public appearances and refused to debate him. Tuberville is well known in Alabama as Auburn University’s former football coach, and is expected to benefit from straight-ticket voting and President Donald Trump’s endorsement in a state where Trump remains popular among white voters. Voters encountered long lines as the polls opened Tuesday morning. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill predicted that the state will see record turnout with up to 76% of the state’s 3.7 million eligible casting ballots. The race will test whether Democrats can maintain inroads in the Deep South state. The outcome of the race could also affect control of the U.S. Senate, which Republicans currently control 53-47. Judy Harrison, a retired educator in Montgomery who described herself as “very conservative,” said she voted for Tuberville. “He’s a fine Christian man, I do know that,” said Harrison, 80. “And I know that he will work hard and do the best that he can. And I think his values are similar to mine.” Glenn Crowell, a 63-year-old retired restaurateur and registered Republican, voted for Jones. “I would have voted for Tuberville, but I couldn’t find out some stuff about him because he didn’t give any interviews and didn’t debate or anything like that,” said Crowell, who is Black. “So I know him for a football coach, but I don’t know him for his political views.” The Jones campaign emphasized his record of bipartisanship and support for the Affordable Care Act while questioning Tuberville’s knowledge and readiness for office. Jones, a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen who bombed a Birmingham church in 1963, became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in a quarter century by defeating Roy Moore, who was accused of pursuing romantic and sexual relationships with teenage girls when he was in his 30s. During a candidate forum with students at Auburn, Jones was asked whether a Democrat could represent the interests of Alabamians. “I have no idea what they are talking about when someone says that,” he said. “Does it mean I’m not going to represent the farmers like I’ve been doing? Does it mean I’m not going to represent the military like I’ve done for the last two years, and help upgrade our nuclear triad and our military folks?” “Alabama is not monolithic. We are a diverse state. …. The goal is to try to find common ground,” he added. Tuberville ended the comeback hopes of former Attorney General and Alabama U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions in this summer’s GOP runoff. He’s positioned himself as a political outsider and emphasized his support of Trump and opposition to abortion. “I’m going to stand with President Trump to finish the border wall, cut your taxes, and protect life,” Tuberville said in an ad. His last comment was a reference to his opposition to abortion. Tuberville said Jones was out of sync with Alabama’s conservative voters when he voted to remove Trump during the impeachment trial and refused to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. “Senator Jones has not been a voice for the people of Alabama,” Tuberville said after a campaign stop Sunday, suggesting Jones was more suited to represent California. “I want to go work on their behalf,” he said of Alabama voters. David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant, said the path for a Democrat is harder in Alabama than in some other Southern states that are beginning to turn purple. “We’re a Republican state. We don’t have a growing suburban area,” he said. “Those types of issues aren’t roiling our populace, for better or for worse. We don’t have the diversity that a Georgia has, or a North Carolina has.” Wearing a string of GOP buttons and carrying a face mask that read, “Biden will Keep Lock Downs For Years,” Meghann Mustico, a 40-year-old file clerk from Hoover, came to hear Tuberville speak on Sunday. “I know he will better represent Alabama,” Mustico said. “President Trump has been the voice for the unborn, stood up for veterans rights, and I have a feeling he is going to follow his lead.” Marilyn Hobbs, a program administrator for a media company, said she has already cast an absentee ballot for Jones and for former Vice President Joe Biden in the presidential election. She said there is energy among Democrats in this election. “He definitely has a chance,” Hobbs said of Jones. “The same people who voted for him last time, we are going to vote for him again. I do believe women will play a central part in voting for this senator and this president.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Doug Jones calls Tommy Tuberville ‘quitter,’ says health care on ballot
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama made a flurry of campaign stops Monday as the Deep South Democrat tries to avoid being swept out of office by Republican Tommy Tuberville and a red wave on Election Day. Jones, who is running for a full term after winning a special election three years ago, made a last-minute push to get voters to the polls as he seeks a coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans, required to hold on to the seat. During a stop at the AFL-CIO labor union office in Montgomery, Jones brushed aside predictions that he can’t win, noting he had done so once. “We’ve got a tough road tomorrow. Everybody knows this. We’ve got a tough road. We’ve got to get our folks voting,” Jones said. “This is not about me. This has never ever been about me and my family. It’s about you. … It’s all about One Alabama,” the senator said, referencing his campaign slogan. In 2017, Jones was the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in a quarter-century. He is facing reelection in a state where President Donald Trump won 62% of the vote in 2016. Jones, as he has at other stops, emphasized health care issues, including the fate of the Affordable Care Act, which he says provides health coverage protections for hundreds of thousands of people in the state. “Make no mistake, folks, your health care is on the ballot. … Leave it to Alabama to try to get rid and throw into turmoil the health care of 957,000 Alabamians that have preexisting conditions in this state,” Jones said. Marilyn Hobbs, a program administrator for a media company, said she has already cast an absentee ballot for Jones and for Joe Biden in the presidential election. “He definitely has a chance,” Hobbs said of Jones. “The same people who voted for him last time, we are going to vote for him again. I do believe women will play a central part in voting for this senator and this president.” Jones took parting shots at Tuberville, saying his opponent’s campaign consisted of only, “Drain the swamp, build the wall, no amnesty, I’ve got Donald Trump’s back and let me tell you lies about Doug Jones.” He also lampooned Tuberville as a quitter, noting the Republican had said he might spend part of the day golfing. The Tuberville campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Tuberville held a Sunday rally in Gardendale, which he said was his final stop of the race. Tuberville emphasized his support for Trump and said Jones does not represent the conservative voters of the state. “When we win, you are going to get someone like Donald Trump who is going to work for you,” Tuberville said. “I’m not doing this to be on television or be in the newspaper. I’ve done all that.” Tuberville did not announce any campaign stops Monday. He told supporters all that was left to do was go vote and send a message. “I’m probably going to get a haircut. I might even go hit a few golf balls. I may be sore Tuesday night when I get up on the stage at the end of the election. This is the last event I’ll attend. There is not a lot we can do other than go vote,” Tuberville said Sunday. Wearing a string of GOP buttons and carrying a face mask that read, “Biden will Keep Lock Downs For Years,” Meghann Mustico, a 40-year-old file clerk from Hoover, came to hear Tuberville speak on Sunday. “I know he will better represent Alabama,” Mustico said. “President Trump has been the voice for the unborn, stood up for veterans rights, and I have a feeling he is going to follow his lead.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
