Alabama senator Richard Shelby has indicated he won’t run again
U.S. Sen. Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the Senate’s fourth most senior member, has told confidants that he does not intend to run for reelection next year_— prompting some Republicans to urge the powerful, establishment politician to reconsider, even as potential replacements prepare to run for his seat. The senator in recent weeks told one close Alabama ally that he was not planning on running in 2022 for what would be his seventh term, according to the ally, who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The person said some in the state were still trying to get Shelby to change his mind out of concern about losing clout and worries that the senator might be replaced by a fringe candidate who would not be as effective. Shelby spokeswoman Blair Taylor said Friday that the senator has not made a decision, “but there will likely be an announcement forthcoming in the next few weeks.” “As I previously stated, the Senator has not made a decision or an announcement regarding whether or not he plans to run in 2022. Any speculation is just that, speculation,” Taylor wrote in an email Friday. A titan of Alabama politics, the 86-year-old politician has spent 42 years in Washington, serving first in the House before the Senate. His stepping down would leave a power void for the region. It would also set off a free-for-all primary in a national party deeply divided between traditional Republicans like Shelby and those who model themselves on former President Donald Trump. Shelby was elected to the Senate in 1986 as a conservative Democrat during the party’s waning days of power in the Deep South, but he switched to the GOP in 1994. He’s spent the past two years as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee before Democrats gained control of the chamber. All along, he has used his influence to benefit the state’s interests, particularly ports and military manufacturers. He played a key role in bringing an FBI campus and the newly announced Space Command to Huntsville. “I don’t know anybody who knows how to wield power like Shelby does,” said David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant. “I would say that is his greatest accomplishment, to get money allocated to the state for many different projects,” former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead said. Alabama’s political circles have long braced for a Shelby retirement. Armistead said the senator told him during his 2016 bid for reelection that it was his last campaign, but Armistead added the caveat that, “Things change.” Several months ago, Shelby told a group of business leaders at a private meeting that he would retire rather than run again, according to a person in attendance who was not authorized to discuss the event and also spoke on condition of anonymity. A list of potential GOP replacements is waiting in the wings. Possible candidates include Shelby’s former chief of staff, Katie Boyd Britt, who now heads an influential business lobby and who would likely have the senator’s backing if she decided to enter the race. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who suspended his 2020 Senate campaign when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions jumped in the race, said he would consider a run. Rep. Mo Brooks is also expected to eye the seat. Brooks has faced criticism for his role in the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol. At a rally before the deadly riot, he told the crowd it was time for “taking down names and kicking ass,” but has maintained since that he was talking about fighting at the ballot box. Brooks declined to comment. Britt did not immediately respond to a text message and a message on social media. Shelby could use his power to give his preferred successor a boost. The senator has gone much of his career without serious opposition and has nearly $10 million in campaign money that he could throw toward his candidate of choice. Still, the GOP primary could serve as a microcosm of the larger national tug of war over the direction of the Republican Party. While Shelby has amassed a conservative voting record, the measured Republican senator has not embraced the bombastic populist style of Trump and Trump-like candidates. “I think it would be a total free-for-all,” said Mowery. Shelby was one of the last of the “old style-Southern politicians who saw as their main job as to steer as much of the federal budget to the state, instead of jumping on the hot-button issue of the day,” Mowery said. In 2017, Shelby bucked his party when he announced that he could not support Republican Roy Moore, who faced sexual misconduct allegations, in the special election for Alabama’s other Senate seat. “You’ll have a lot of candidates that will try to be as loud or as dumb as possible because they think that is what plays to 50% or more of the Republican electorate — not realizing that’s not how you get things done in Washington,” Mowery said. Some prominent state figures are still hoping that Shelby will reconsider. “I hope he will run again. I don’t think there is anyone who has meant more to the state of Alabama in that position in my lifetime,” former Gov. Bob Riley said. ___ This story has been edited to correct that Bill Armistead is the former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging Alabama mask mandate
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s mandatory face mask mandate, which opponents claimed is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins, in a decision Tuesday, dismissed the lawsuit calling it a “shotgun pleading” that makes a lot of accusations without organization or solid legal claims. The same judge in October had refused the suit’s request to block the mask rule, which health officials have credited with lessening the impact of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. The mask order, which was first imposed in the summer and extends at least through Jan. 22, requires anyone over the age of 6 to wear masks in indoor public spaces and outdoors when it’s impossible to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from others. The lawsuit was filed by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore on behalf of state residents against Gov. Kay Ivey and the state health officer claiming the mask rule is unconstitutional. The judge allowed three weeks for a replacement lawsuit. Moore’s Foundation for Moral Law denied Watkins’ criticism of the lawsuit and said another version of the complaint would be filed. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Record Democratic turnout not enough for Jones in Alabama
Alabama U.S. Sen. Doug Jones received more than 200,000 more votes this year than he did when he won the seat three years ago. But despite record Democratic turnout, it wasn’t nearly enough in the deeply red state as Republican former college football coach Tommy Tuberville racked up huge margins to handily defeat Jones and Democrats’ hopes of maintaining inroads in the Deep South state this year. Jones, who was considered the Senate’s most endangered Democrat, topped former President Barack Obama’s 2008 record for most votes for a Democratic candidate in Alabama, state Democratic Party Executive Director Wade Perry said. Yet huge GOP numbers pushed the incumbent down to just 40% of the overall vote. Tuberville made fealty to President Donald Trump the central pillar of his campaign and told voters at a campaign stop that, “God sent us and elected Donald Trump.” Boosted by GOP enthusiasm, straight-ticket voting, and fame from his coaching days at Auburn University, Tuberville won about 60% of ballots, running about two percentage points behind Trump in the state. “Alabama, welcome back to the Republican U.S. Senate,” Tuberville shouted after taking the stage to loud cheers at his election night party in downtown Montgomery. “I am going to fight like heck against Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi,” he said. “I will be guided by our shared values, conservative values and I will always vote with the majority of people in the state of Alabama.” Tuberville’s victory followed a campaign where Tuberville shunned most media outlets in favor of conservative talk radio and he declined to debate Jones. Jones, a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing, became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in a quarter-century when he won in 2017. His victory was aided by scandal after Republican Roy Moore, already a controversial figure in the state, faced allegations of sexual misconduct from decades earlier. Some Republicans in the state sat out that race or supported Jones. Republicans were eager to portray Jones’ 2017 win as an anomaly, and hammered at Jones over a handful of votes, including the Democrat’s decision to convict Trump during the impeachment trial. “He will be the perfect example in political science classes around this nation of how to lose a U.S. Senate seat with $15 million dollars because you ignored the will of the majority of the people. It will be a short class,” Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said of Jones. Jones, despite outspending Tuberville 4-1, lost by a wide margin. “There’s nothing else we could have done. It was a record Democratic turnout, exceeded only by a record Republican turnout,” Alabama Democratic Party Executive Director Wade Perry said Wednesday. “We’ve got two years to do a better job. We’ve got some work to do,” Perry said. “I’m proud of Alabama Democrats and very proud of our staff. We worked very hard and had a record turnout. It just wasn’t enough.” David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant, said “Republican DNA is hard-baked into the state” making it a difficult path for any Democrat, even a well-funded one. He said Alabama does not have the growing suburban populations that have helped turn some southern states into battlegrounds. “We’re a Republican state and the only thing that can change that is a big-league scandal and a known bad actor like Roy Moore,” Mowery said. Although he was denied a full term in the Senate, Jones said there was work to continue. “At the end of the day, my time in the Senate is going to be over, but our time is just beginning, our time to make our state so much better than what it has been, to make sure we continue the march of progress,” Jones said as he stood with his family on stage. Jones said he did not regret the votes, such as impeachment and opposing Trump’s Supreme Court nominee — which fueled conservative outrage against him — because he said those were votes he took on principle. Ahead of Tuesday, Jones had acknowledged he faced an uphill battle to keep the seat in a campaign that seemed as much about laying groundwork for the future. He helped install new leadership at the Alabama Democratic Party. The senator also lamented a political environment that has moved to partisan rancor and away from bipartisanship. “The Senate doesn’t have that kind of deliberative spirit anymore,” he said. “There’s a lot more friendliness and bipartisanship that goes on behind the scenes that folks don’t see, but it needs to be on the floor of the Senate, it needs to be in front of the cameras, it needs to be where people can see these great debates on policy, and on issues, and how you can find that common ground.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
GOP’s Tommy Tuberville defeats US Sen. Doug Jones, flips Alabama seat
Former college football coach Tommy Tuberville has recaptured a U.S. Senate seat for Republicans by defeating Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama. Jones has been widely been considered the Senate’s most endangered Democrat. Republicans had made taking back the once reliably conservative seat a priority in 2020. Tuberville, who has never held public office and last coached four years ago, aligned himself closely with President Donald Trump and declared in the primary campaign: “God sent us Donald Trump.” “Alabama, welcome back to the Republican U.S. Senate,” Tuberville shouted after taking the stage to loud cheers at his election night party in downtown Montgomery. He said his victory shows that the seat can’t be bought by donors from other states. Tuberville took a congratulatory call from Vice President Mike Pence on stage after his victory was declared. “Thank you for delivering a great victory for President Donald Trump and thank you for sending a great new senator to the United States Senate,” Pence told the crowd after Tuberville put him on speakerphone. Jones had won the seat during a 2017 special election in which GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore was publicly accused of sexual misconduct involving young women decades ago. The GOP hammered Jones over his vote to convict Trump in the Senate impeachment trial earlier this year. 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.” However, Glenn Crowell, a 63-year-old retired restaurateur and 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.” Three years ago, Jones became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in a quarter-century. His victory, blasted as a fluke by some, was aided by scandal after Republican nominee Roy Moore, already a controversial figure in the state, faced allegations of sexual misconduct from decades earlier. Jones won the special election to fill the seat that belonged to former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions. He resigned to become Trump’s first attorney general, a position he was later forced to resign after Trump became unhappy from Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Tuberville, armed with outsider appeal and fame from his time as Auburn University’s football coach, won the GOP primary over Sessions, who tried to win back his old seat but was wounded by his falling out with Trump. Trump won Alabama with 62% of the vote in 2016 and endorsed Tuberville over Sessions in the 2020 Republican primary runoff. In trying to recapture the seat for the GOP, Tuberville and Republicans pointed to some of Jones’ votes to argue his views were out of step with Alabama’s conservative voters. In addition to seizing on Jones’ vote in Trump’s impeachment trial, Republicans also criticized Jones’ support of abortion rights. Alabama voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment saying it’s state policy to recognize the rights of “unborn children.” Jones, a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing, positioned himself as a moderate who supported gun rights and would cross party lines when it benefited the state. On the campaign trail, he referred to Tuberville as “Coach Clueless” because of his verbal fumbles on policy questions and past financial dealings. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
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.
Senate race between Jones, Tuberville tops Alabama ballot
In addition to voting for president, Alabama voters will also decide a U.S. Senate race and multiple other offices and issues on Tuesday. Here is a look at Election Day in Alabama: PRESIDENT Very popular among the conservatives who dominate Alabama politics, Republicans are hopeful President Donald Trump will carry the state against Democrat Joe Biden. Trump carried 62% of the roughly 2.1 million votes cast in Alabama in his race against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and there’s little indication Trump’s popularity has waned in the deep-red state despite problems including impeachment and the coronavirus pandemic. But while some GOP candidates in Alabama have staked their campaigns on aggressively supporting Trump for a second term, increased Democratic turnout could narrow the president’s margin against Biden. While Alabama Democrats are more energized and organized than they were four years ago, the number of yard signs and roadside shops selling Trump paraphernalia across Alabama are visible proof of Biden’s uphill battle in reclaiming a state that a Democratic last carried in a presidential election in 1976, when Jimmy Carter from neighboring Georgia was on the ballot. U.S. SENATE Republicans trying to maintain control of the U.S. Senate are staking their hopes on former college football coach Tommy Tuberville defeating first-term Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who won the seat in a special election in 2017. Tuberville, who has never held public office and last coached four years ago, is among the candidates who’ve aligned themselves most closely with Trump, even declaring in the primary campaign: “God sent us Donald Trump.” Viewed as an underdog in a Republican-controlled state, Jones mocked Tuberville as “Coach Clueless” and chided him for his refusal to debate. Jones won the seat previously held by Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, after GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore was publicly accused of sexual misconduct involving young women decades ago. With GOP incumbents in danger elsewhere, Republicans hope Tuberville can knock off Jones. U.S. HOUSE The state will have at least two new members of Congress after voters pick winners in races for two open U.S. House seats in south Alabama. The Republican chairman of the Mobile County Commission, Jerry Carl, is trying to keep GOP control in the southwest Alabama seat now held by Rep. Bradley Byrne. Carl is facing Democrat James Averhart, a retired Marine who runs a nonprofit group and directs the Mobile-area office of the NAACP. In southeast Alabama’s 2nd District, Republican Barry Moore of Enterprise and Democrat Phyllis Harvey-Hall are vying for the job of GOP Rep. Martha Roby, who didn’t seek reelection. Moore is a former state representative and business owner, while Harvey-Hall is an educator from Montgomery. Two Republican House members are also hoping to win reelection. Rep. Mike Rogers of Saks is seeking a 10th term in east Alabama’s 3rd District against Democrat Adia Winfrey, while Rep. Robert Aderholt of Haleyville is seeking a 13th term in office against Democrat Rick Neighbors in the 4th District, which includes much of north Alabama. Reps. Mo Brooks of Huntsville; Gary Palmer of Hoover; and Terri Sewell of Selma were unopposed in the general election. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Six statewide constitutional amendments are on the ballot, including one that would remove racist language from the state’s 1901 constitution, which was passed to ensure white supremacy in Alabama. Sponsored by Rep. Merika Coleman of Birmingham, Amendment 4 would allow a recompilation of the state constitution to remove wording that prohibited mixed-race marriage and mandated racially segregated schools. While no longer in effect, supporters of the amendment say the prohibitions are an embarrassment and should be removed. Recommended changes to the constitution would be submitted to lawmakers in 2022 for approval, and voters would again be asked to approve the stripped-down document. Voters defeated similar measures twice before, most recently in 2012. Amendment 1 is a mostly symbolic measure pushed by Republicans that says only U.S. citizens have the right to vote, which already is the law nationally. The Alabama Constitution currently states that every male citizen can vote, although the 19th Amendment provided women’s suffrage in 1920. Amendment 2 would allow the full Alabama Supreme Court to appoint the director of the state’s court system, a task now performed solely by the chief justice, and make other changes to the judicial system. Amendment 3 would extend the amount of time that appointed district and circuit judges can serve. Amendments 5 and 6 would protect anyone who kills someone in self-defense in a church in Franklin and Lauderdale counties. Alabama’s “stand your ground” law already applies inside churches, the attorney general’s office has said, but backers support more specific provisions. PSC PRESIDENT Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is seeking reelection as president of the utility-regulating Alabama Public Service Commission against Democrat Laura Casey. Cavanaugh, seeking her third term, was the first woman to serve as chair of the Alabama Republican Party and has closely aligned herself with President Trump while espousing conservative orthodoxy. She says keeping power rates low helps families and business development. Casey contends the three-member PSC, all Republicans, is more interested in protecting the state’s largest electrical utility, Alabama Power Co., than consumers. She recently lost an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court, which rejected her right to videotape a hearing held before the PSC about solar energy fees. STATE SCHOOL BOARD The ballot on Tuesday includes three contested seats on the Alabama State Board of Education. In the District 1 race in southwest Alabama, Republican board vice president Jackie Zeigler, a retired principal, is opposed by Democratic nominee Tom Holmes, a retired state employee who also led a disabilities advocacy program. Republican Stephanie Bell is touting her experience supporting programs, including the Alabama Reading Initiative, as she seeks an eighth term representing the 3rd District of central Alabama. She is opposed by Jarralynne Agee, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Miles College in Birmingham. In the 5th District, which includes much of Alabama’s Black Belt region, Democrat Tonya Smith Chestnut and Republican Lesa
Personel Update: Reshad Hudson to be a national correspondent for Nexstar
Alabama state capitol reporter Reshad Hudson will be moving to Washington, D.C. bureau in November to work as a national correspondent for Nexstar. While there, he will be covering Congress and the White House. Hudson graduated from the University of Alabama with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. While in Montgomery he covered Alabama legislature and managed to score several key interviews with Kay Ivey. He covered the removal of former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore. CBS 42 news director Rob Martin stated, “Reshad helped establish the company’s first state capitol bureau in Alabama. Reshad quickly went to work making contacts with the governor, attorney general, and other state agencies. Exclusive interviews with Governor Ivey, breaking stories out of the Legislature, and top-notch campaign coverage are just a few of the stories successfully reported. He has also paved the way for our next bureau reporter to be well established. Good news for us, we can air Reshad’s Washington stories.” Hudson made the announcement on his Twitter page, stating, “I have my own October surprise! This Bama native is moving to DC in Nov. to be a reporter in Nexstar’s Washington Bureau covering Congress and the White House. I could not think of a better time to be working in the most important Capitol in the world.” I have my own October surprise! This Bama native is moving to DC in Nov. to be a reporter in Nexstar’s Washington Bureau covering Congress and the White House. I could not think of a better time to be working in the most important Capitol in the world.https://t.co/l9yETM27zX — Reshad Hudson (@ReshadHudson) October 27, 2020
Doug Jones fights for survival in Alabama as Tommy Tuberville coasts
Standing by a blue pickup truck at a rally near the birthplace of the late civil rights icon John Lewis, Alabama Sen. Doug Jones urged voters to look at his record from his three years in office and not what he called Republican distortions about him. “Don’t listen to the lies. … I don’t want to defund the police. I’m not taking anybody’s guns away. I’m not for federally funded abortions,” Jones said in his closing message. “Look at the record. I’ve got a record passing bipartisan legislation, working with Republicans, working with Democrats. I’ve got a record for doing things for teachers, for farmers, for our military, for Alabama.” Considered the most endangered Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Jones is facing Republican Tommy Tuberville, who harnessed college football coaching fame and President Donald Trump’s endorsement to block former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ attempt at a political comeback. Sessions has since appeared with Tuberville on the campaign trail. The race in solidly pro-Trump Alabama will test whether Democrats can make inroads in the Deep South and if Jones’ 2017 special election win was a fluke driven by the fact that the GOP nominee, Roy Moore, faced a litany of sexual misconduct allegations. The outcome of this year’s race could also have a big effect on the Senate, which Republicans currently control 53-47. While Tuberville entered the race as a strong favorite, Jones holds a 4-to-1 spending advantage and both campaigns sent out fundraising emails contending the race is tightening. Jones has been on a campaign blitz while Tuberville has adopted a strategy akin to running out the clock. Tuberville has announced fewer public campaign events, concentrated media appearances on conservative talk radio, and has refused to debate Jones. Positioning himself as a political outsider, Tuberville’s message has been heavy on support for Trump. In a recent ad, Tuberville said, “I’m going to stand with President Trump to finish the border wall, cut your taxes, and protect life.” “Between Doug Jones and me, voters have the choice between a devoted liberal who embraces the D.C. swamp or a committed conservative outsider who wants to fundamentally change the way Washington operates,” Tuberville said in a statement. Tuberville’s record as a football coach has even become campaign fodder. The former Auburn University football coach ran an ad with a former player talking about how Tuberville cared about players as people, not just athletes. Jones, meanwhile, ran a commercial saying Tuberville “quit on his players” when he abruptly changed coaching jobs multiple times. Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in a quarter-century, is trying to prove his 2017 victory was no outlier. “A lot has to go right for a Democrat in Alabama to pick the lock and win an election. Jones ran an exemplary campaign in 2017 and benefited from a perfect storm – and many of those same underlying elements are in place again,” said Zac McCrary, a Democratic pollster. To win, McCrary said Jones needs strong Black turnout and big support from independents and younger, more suburban white voters. Republican campaign strategist Angi Stalnaker said Tuberville comes in with an “incredible advantage” just by having an “R” by his name. Many Alabamians also aren’t happy that Jones voted in February to remove Trump from office, she said. “I think Senator Jones has been on the ropes since the day he was sworn in, but when he cast a vote to impeach Trump. … I think he put his nail in his own coffin,” Stalnaker said. Trump is expected to easily carry the state again, meaning Jones would have to win over some Trump voters. Jones made a direct appeal to GOP voters in ads featuring Republican voters, including retired Gen. Charles Krulak — a former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps — endorsing Jones. “Although I am a life-long Republican, I’m urging you to vote for Doug Jones. His work on the Armed Services Committee supports our veterans and military families, and ensures that we have the best equipped military in the world,” Krulak said in the ad. Jones has tried to question Tuberville’s past financial dealings and readiness to be senator. He highlighted a recording of Tuberville appearing to struggle with a question about the Voting Rights Act. “The thing about the Voting Rights Act is, you know, there’s a lot of different things you can look at it as. Who is it going to help? What direction do we need to go with it? I think it’s important that everything we do we keep secure. We keep an eye on it. It’s run by our government,” Tuberville said, according to the recording from a rotary club meeting. Jones played Tuberville’s answer during a campaign rally in Troy. “He should be ashamed to even be on the ballot in the state of Alabama with not knowing what the Voting Rights Act is.” Collen Layton, a 23-year-old graphic design student, came to hear Jones speak that day. “It’s just kind of a no-brainer to me. He has a record of working across the aisle and can tell that he cares about the people of Alabama. And you have Tommy Tuberville, who seems like he has no clue what he is doing,” Layton said. In Hoover, 56-year-old retired field artillery officer Russ Stringer said it was a similarly easy choice to vote for Tuberville, and has been critical of Jones on social media. “I have called him out on his abortion stance and how it does not agree with most people in Alabama. I called him out on voting to remove President Trump twice,” Stringer said. There are some discouraging signs for Jones, including that national Democratic groups haven’t reported significant spending in Alabama, according to finance reports. While Democrats have made gains in southern states such as Virginia and North Carolina, the Deep South has fewer large suburban areas, and “has been more sluggish for Democrats,” McCrary said. But if Jones does win, McCrary said it would cement the possibility that
Judge won’t temporarily block Alabama face mask mandate
U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins said there is no urgency because the health orders were first issued this spring and the mask order followed in July.
Kay Ivey extends pandemic rule requiring face masks
The five-week extension, announced during a Capitol news conference, means the mask requirement will be in effect on Election Day and through much of the remaining high school and college football seasons.
Roy Moore calls out the hypocrisy of Congressman Brian Mast who joked about underage sex and rape
Judge Roy Moore released a scathing statement today regarding South Florida Congressman Brian Mast. Mast has admitted to posting inappropriate comments about rape and underage girls in 2009 and 2011. According to the SunSentinel, one of the comments happened on February 23, 2009. Mast commented on a picture posted by Rocco LeDonni, taken during a vacation in South Africa. Mast commented, “im so proud of you… i hope you hook up with at least fifteen 15 year olds over there…. its legel there right.” Two years later, LeDonni asked in a post, “Anyone have any good pick up lines for this weekend considering according to the crazy christian radio guy the world may end on sunday?” Mast responded, “How about don’t turn this rape into a murder.” LeDonni is now Mast’s campaign manager. Moore’s comment was posted by his wife, Kayla Moore, on her Facebook page. Roy Moore stated, “When “false and malicious” sexual allegations over 40 years old were made against me in a hotly contested Senate race in Alabama in 2017, Rep Brian Mast called upon me to drop out of the race without ever trying to find out the truth. Now by his own admission, he has joked about inappropriate sexual relationships with “15-year-olds.” Congress does not deserve such hypocrisy! Mast should drop out of the race by his own judgment lest he help elect another Democrat to Congress.” In a TCPalm story in 2017, Mast didn’t support Moore when he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior towards five women when they were minors. Mast stated, “Pedophiles should have no place in the United States Congress.” With that statement, many other members of Congress expressed the same sentiment. At the time, Moore was running against Luther Strange. Others are also calling for Mast’s resignation, including former SEAL Team Six member Craig Sawyer and Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally. Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay and Senator Lauren Book have also called for Mast to resign. Book remarked that Mast “demonstrated a complete lack of respect for women and questionable moral character unbecoming of a Congressman.” After the SunSentinel article broke, Mast made a statement. “A decade ago when I was in the Army, and following my injury, I made disgusting and inappropriate jokes that I am embarrassed to have associated with my name today. I am sorry about that part of who I was, and I strive every day to be a better example for my kids.” On Saturday, protestors gathered outside of his office, demanding his resignation. Some protestors stated they accepted his apology but didn’t believe he should not represent them on Capitol Hill. Lucy Angelo-Walker, a protestor who spoke to WPTV, said, “He has a daughter (who) will be 15 one day, and I would hate to think that there was someone out there (who) was given advice like he gave to a friend who would then be a predator in the situation that his daughter is in.” Mast currently represents the district that includes northern Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. He has frequently voted in favor of Trump’s agenda in Congress. In 2016 he beat Randy Perkins, and in 2018 he defeated Lauren Baer with 54% of the vote. He is currently in a re-election battle with Democrat Pam Keith.
Inside the Statehouse: Legendary liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was from Alabama
The only Alabamian to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court was Hugo Black.
