House Cmte approves bill authorizing gubernatorial appointments, eliminating special Senate elections
A bill intended to save taxpayers the cost of another special election should a vacancy occur in the U.S. Senate, passed an Alabama House Committee Wednesday morning. The House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee approved HB17 by voice vote. If passed by the Legislature, the bill would allow the governor to appoint an temporary replacement to a vacant Senate seat, followed by an election that would coincide with the next general election occurring more than one year after the vacancy occurs. The state holds general elections every two years. “What this bill simply does is set any U.S. Senate vacancies for regularly scheduled elections every two years,” the bill’s sponsor Ozark-Republican State Rep. Steve Clouse said before the Committee vote. The bill would amend Section 36-9-7 of, and to repeal Section 10 36-9-8 of, the Code of Alabama 1975. Under current law, when a vacancy in the U.S. Senate occurs the governor appoints an interim replacement and then schedules a special election. It comes in the wake of the 2017’s controversial scheduling of a special election after former Sen. Jeff Sessions vacated the seat to become U.S. attorney general. HB17 now moves to the full House for further consideration.
Roy Moore celebrates runoff victory with supporters
After a heated battle to the finish line, Alabama’s former Chief Justice Roy Moore is celebrating victory Tuesday night as he officially became the Republican nominee in the special election for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat. Riding a wave of rural, conservative support Moore defeated incumbent Sen. Luther Strange by 9.2 points. The Moore campaign took to Facebook following the results to thank the judge’s supporters. “Because of you, tonight, the establishment has been defeated in Alabama! We still have a ways to go before December 12th’s general election, and the road certainly doesn’t get easier, but with YOU, the best grassroots army of supporters around, I know we can take on anything together!” the post read. Moore now advances to the Dec. 12 general election where he will face Democratic nominee Doug Jones. The winner of the race will take over the seat that previously belonged to Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the remainder of his term. Watch Moore’s victory celebration below:
It’s a wrap, firebrand jurist Roy Moore wins GOP primary runoff in Alabama
Firebrand jurist Roy Moore won the Alabama Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating an appointed incumbent backed by President Donald Trump and allies of Sen. Mitch McConnell. In an upset likely to rock the GOP establishment, Moore clinched victory over Sen. Luther Strange to take the GOP nomination for the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore will face Democrat Doug Jones in a Dec. 12 special election. Throughout the campaign, Moore argued the election was an opportunity to send a message to the “elite Washington establishment” that he said was trying to influence the race. The Senate Leadership Fund, a group with ties to McConnell, had spent an estimated $9 million trying to secure the nomination for Strange. Moore was twice elected chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and twice removed from those duties. In 2003, he was removed from office for disobeying a federal judge’s order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse lobby. Last year, he was permanently suspended after a disciplinary panel ruled he had urged probate judges to defy federal court decisions on gay marriage and deny wedding licenses to same-sex couples. Trump endorsed Strange in the race and tweeted support for him on multiple occasions. As polls showed Strange in danger of losing, Trump visited Alabama to campaign at a rally attended by more than 7,000 people. Moore, propelled by evangelical voters, consolidated support from a number of anti-establishment forces, including the pro-Trump Great America Alliance and former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who spoke at a Monday rally. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in a rally for Moore last week, said the judge was a better match for Trump’s “movement.” Trump said at the Alabama rally that he would campaign for Moore in the general election if he secured the nomination but he believed Moore would have a tougher time against the Democrat in the race. Moore led Strange by about 25,000 votes in the crowded August primary, which went to a runoff between the two because neither topped 50 percent in the voting. Strange, the state’s former attorney general, was appointed to Sessions’ seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who resigned two months later as lawmakers opened impeachment hearings against him. Throughout the Senate race, Strange had been dogged by criticisms of accepting the appointment from a scandal-battered governor when his office was in charge of corruption investigations. On the outskirts of Montgomery, 76-year-old Air Force retiree John Lauer said Trump’s endorsement swayed him to vote for Strange on Tuesday. “I voted for Strange. I’m a Trump voter. Either one is going to basically do the Trump agenda, but since Trump came out for Luther, I voted for Luther,” said Lauer said. Poll workers in the heavily Republican Birmingham suburbs of Helena and Pelham said voter turnout was steady, with short lines at two places when doors opened Tuesday. Merlene Bohannon, a widow with three grown children, said she had planned to vote for Strange until seeing Bannon stump for Moore on Fox News on Monday night. “Steve Bannon and God spoke to me, and this morning when I went in I voted for Moore,” said Bohannon, 74. Bannon told the crowd that Alabama can show the world “that this populist, nationalist, conservative movement is on the rise.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Poll says Democrat Doug Jones nearly tied with GOP candidates in Ala. Senate race
According to a new poll, Democrat Doug Jones has the potential to pull an upset in Alabama’s U.S. Senate race in December. On Dec. 12, Jones will face-off against a Republican challenger — either current, interim Sen. Luther Strange or former Ala. Chief Justice Roy Moore, which will be determined in a run-off Sept. 26 — where, according to the new poll from Emerson College, he’s with striking distance. The poll finds Jones trailing both Republicans by only a handful of points — Moore leads Jones by four percentage points, meanwhile Strange leads him by only three points. While the results make the race a statistical dead heat, the Yellowhammer State has traditionally been one of the reddest of red states. The last time the state voted for a Democrat for president was back 1976, and the last time it voted a Democrat to the Senate was twenty years ago, in 1997. Nevertheless, according to the poll, the constant-GOP infighting between Strange and Luther has put a bad taste in many voter’s mouths. “The GOP will need to find a way to unite during the 11 weeks until the General Election, or face the prospect of Jones pulling off an upset,” reads the poll. Which begs the question — can the GOP unify behind the run-off victor? Or will there be a Jones upset? Only time will tell.
Luther Strange and Roy Moore camps both declare debate victory
Luther Strange‘s campaign claimed victory Thursday following a debate against U.S. Senate opponent Roy Moore, saying the showdown made it clear that all Moore had to offer was “empty words.” “While all Roy Moore had to offer was empty words, Big Luther demonstrated that he has the ideas and knowledge necessary to advance President Trump’s agenda to rebuild our economy and strengthen our country,” said campaign spokesman Cameron Foster. “Luther showed that he knows how to get things done for Alabama, and has what it takes to follow Jeff Sessions as a conservative leader in the U.S. Senate.” Following suit, Moore also claimed victory in the Lincoln-Douglas-style debate saying Strange “became more desperate as the night went on. With little to present to the audience other than shameless namedropping of his Washington endorsements.” The two went head to head — without a moderator — in a debate that focused largely on who would best support President Donald Trump‘s agenda in Congress. “The president supports me,” Strange said in his opening remarks. “Why would he do that? Because we’ve developed a close, personal friendship. We both come from the same background, the same mission, the same motivation to make this country great again.” Trump took to Twitter Friday to reiterate the relationship between him and the Senator. “Will be in Alabama tonight. Luther Strange has gained mightily since my endorsement, but will be very close. He loves Alabama, and so do I!” Will be in Alabama tonight. Luther Strange has gained mightily since my endorsement, but will be very close. He loves Alabama, and so do I! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2017 Moore mocked Strange for trying to ride the president’s coattails. “I can’t tell you what the president thinks, I can’t tell you every move he makes, when he goes to the bathroom and when he doesn’t,” Moore said decisively to laughs from the crowd. Moore went on to point out Strange’s history as a Washington lobbyist. “My entire political career has been serving the state of Alabama,” Moore said. “My opponent has been a professional lobbyist for over 20 years… you don’t drain the swamp of lobbyists by sending a lobbyist to the United States Senate.” Strange and Moore face-off Tuesday, Sept. 26 in the runoff GOP primary election to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate. The winner will go on to face Democrat Doug Jones in December.
Jim Zeigler: Luther Strange insults Roy Moore supporters, says they look like ‘unemployment line’
Remember when Hillary Clinton insulted Trump voters, calling them “deplorables”? That line caught attention and fired up the base against Hilary. Temporary Sen. Luther Strange may have made a similar mistake in Alabama’s U.S. Senate debate Thursday. In the Senate debate Thursday, Strange said supporters of his opponent, Judge Roy Moore, “look like the White House unemployment line.” That insult could fire up the Roy Moore base. Turnout appears vital in this Tuesday’s Republican runoff. Sec. of State John Merrill predicts a poor voter turnout – 12 to 15 percent of registered voters. A low turnout increases the importance of which candidate’s supporters are motivated. If Moore voters turn out strongly, polls indicate he wins. The strange insult from Strange could backfire on him and encourage Moore supporters to get out and vote. Strange is depending on millions of dollars in ads and mailers paid for by Mitch McConnell and Washington Insiders. Moore is counting on Alabama supporters calling their friends and neighbors reminding them to vote Tuesday and recommending Roy Moore. The Washington money versus the grassroots of Alabama. A classic David v. Goliath contest. Luther Strange, at 6 feet 9 inches, is clearly Goliath. David won. ••• Jim Zeigler is the State Auditor of Alabama.
US Senate contender Roy Moore has history of provocative comments
Roy Moore, a firebrand jurist who is close to snagging the state’s Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Alabama, once called homosexuality an “inherent evil” and referred to ethnic groups as “reds” and “yellows” in a speech lamenting racial and political divisions in the country. Twice ousted from the bench, the U.S. Senate contender has a history of provocative comments that have simultaneously made him a lightning rod for controversy and propelled his popularity in the conservative Deep South state. While he is disliked among members of the Republican establishment, his penchant for shooting from the hip appeals to many voters who are drawn to his plain-spokenness and authenticity. Moore is on the eve of what could be a triumphant political resurrection: His strong showing in a party primary earlier this year forced Sen. Luther Strange into a heated Sept. 26 runoff for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The winner will become the favorite against Democrat Doug Jones. Not surprisingly, his increased public exposure as a candidate has led to a more intense scrutiny of his words. In a speech last week about divisions in the country, Moore employed words that in contemporary society are considered ethnic slurs. Saying the nation is as divided now as it was during the Civil War, he remarked, “We’ve got blacks and whites fighting, reds and yellows fighting, Democrats and Republicans fighting, men and women fighting.” Asked later about the comments, Moore’s campaign responded with a quotation from the Bible song “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” which refers to children by color. “‘Red, yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.’ This is the Gospel. If we take it seriously, America can once again be united as one nation under God.” Moore’s campaign posted the same response on Twitter. In a 2002 child-custody case involving a lesbian mother, Moore wrote that homosexuality is “an inherent evil against which children must be protected.” The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of the father, and Moore authored a concurring opinion saying there was a presumption the mother was unfit because she was in a relationship with a woman. Dawn Larson, the mother in the case, said Moore’s actions were painful, but that she gets satisfaction knowing her case has been used as a rallying point against him over the years. “It absolutely boggles my mind how the citizens of Alabama can keep re-electing someone who is so blatantly biased, has no understanding of separation of church and state, and who has proven over and over that he is simply unfit for the job. I don’t have to believe the way Moore does, but I will defend his right to worship as he chooses. I just wish he offered every other American the same option,” Larson told The Associated Press by email. Asked about the case, Moore told the AP his opinion supporting the court decision was based on state laws against sodomy and gay marriage. While his campaign platform focuses on a variety of issues, such as the repeal of President Barack Obama‘s health care overhaul and increased military spending, his signature issue through the years has always been the “acknowledgement of God.” Moore’s stump speeches, like his political career, often mingle politics, law and religion. In a February speech, he appeared to suggest that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a result of the country straying from religious roots. He quoted an Old Testament verse about the “breaking cometh suddenly at an instance” for those that have despised the word of God. “Sounds a little bit like the Pentagon, whose breaking came suddenly at an instance, doesn’t it?” Moore told the AP that the section of the speech was about how the country needed God’s protection. In a campaign speech Saturday, Moore complained that political operatives supporting Strange are showing up at all of his speeches with video cameras, hoping to catch him in a misstep or twist his words with editing. Moore, a West Point graduate, was a little-known country judge when a decision to decorate his courtroom with a homemade wooden copy of the Ten Commandments set him on the path to fame. The American Civil Liberties Union sued over the display, and his habit of opening court sessions with Christian prayer. The notoriety helped propel Moore — twice— to the office of chief justice. A judicial panel removed him from the post in 2003 when he disobeyed a court order to move a Ten Commandments monument out of the state Supreme Court building. Despite the controversy, he was re-elected in 2012, although last year, the panel suspended him for the remainder of his term after he wrote a memo telling probate judges they remained under a court order to refuse marriage licenses to gay couples. National Republican groups, at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are spending millions on behalf of Strange. That’s partly out of the routine practice of protecting incumbents; Strange was appointed to the seat by then-Gov. Robert Bentley after Sessions’ promotion to the Justice Department, and Strange has proven a reliable vote for McConnell and President Donald Trump. But there’s also the quiet fear that Moore is a weaker general-election candidate than Strange and would be a more unpredictable senator. Wayne Flynt, a historian who has written books about Alabama history, said voters view Moore as “authentic” because he seems to truly believe what he says. Flynt said Moore appeals to voters who are tired of the establishment candidates on both sides of the aisle. “How can he be a serious candidate for Senate? I can guarantee you among the Republican establishment, he’s not. They are terrified of Roy Moore,” Flynt said. “And I really think he has a very good chance of winning.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Joe Biden to stump for Doug Jones in Alabama U.S. Senate special election
Former Vice President Joe Biden will stump in the Yellowhammer State next month for Democrat Doug Jones, Jones’ camp announced Wednesday. The lawyer and former U.S. attorney during the Clinton administration is hoping to best the Republican nominee — either current, interim Sen. Luther Strange or former Ala. Chief Justice Roy Moore — in the Dec. 12 special election for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat that previously belonged to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Biden will headline an Oct. 3 rally in Birmingham at the Sheraton in Downtown Birmingham on Jones’ behalf. “I have seen Doug Jones’ dedication to civil rights and social justice. From his time as U.S. Attorney prosecuting the 16th Street Baptist Church bombers to his private life as an advocate for social justice and economic empowerment, Doug Jones is a proven leader in which we can place our trust. Doug Jones will make a great U.S. Senator,” Biden said in a news release. Jones is best known for prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for killing four black girls in the 1963 bombing of the 1963 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. “I am honored my longtime friend, vice president Joe Biden, I will visit Alabama to reinforce his endorsement for our campaign on Tuesday, October 3,” Jones said in a statement. “Vice President Biden has been a long time lifelong advocate for civil rights, social justice, and supporting working-class citizens. He exemplifies what it means to be a public servant. I am thrilled for him to travel to the state and speak to the folks who make Alabama so great!” The campaign will release more details about time and ticketing closer to the event.
Steve Bannon’s stand against Luther Strange front page news
Look no further than the homepage of Breitbart to see Steve Bannon‘s first public fight against the moderates and liberal factions in the White House. It doesn’t take much to realize that it wasn’t a true conservative who convinced President Donald Trump to endorse Luther Strange over former Ala. Chief Justice Roy Moore. It’s a race where either candidate would probably be good for the presidents agenda and one in which he should have probably stayed out of. Luther Strange’s solid conservative record has been overshadowed by two important factors throughout the race. First, the vast amounts of money his campaign has taken from establishment PACS in D.C. who have run one negative after another, many untrue, about Strange’s opponents since the special election first began and second his ties to corrupt former Governor Robert Bentley who appointed Strange while his office was actively investigating him. The lines have been drawn — this race boils down to fiscal and social conservatives on one side, and the establishment on the other. With Donald Trump stumping in Alabama on Friday and Sarah Palin here Thursday there’s a lot at play in the final weeks of the election. Polls show a clear lead for Moore and with Mo Brooks recent endorsement the fight between social/fiscal conservatives vs. the establishment is officially on. Reading the Breitbart home page headlines theres no question about Bannon’s position. So the question of the day: Which way will voters go, Bannon or Trump, establishment or principles, Moore or Strange? We will see soon.
Jim Zeigler throws support behind Roy Moore for US Senate
State Auditor Jim Zeigler on Friday announced his endorsement of former Chief Justice Roy Moore for U.S. Senate in the Sept. 26 runoff election. Moore takes on appointed-incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in next month’s runoff following an Aug. 15 primary in which neither candidate earned the necessary 50 plus one percent of the vote to outright secure the Republican Party’s nomination. “The contrast is clear between Bentley-appointed senator Strange and future senator Roy Moore,” Zeigler said in a news release. “Strange is in lock-step with the Washington Insiders who own his campaign funding. Roy Moore will be committed to Alabama citizens, the Constitution, and the values on which America was founded.” Zeigler’s endorsement comes as little surprise as he’s long spoken out against Strange and his February appointment to the U.S. Senate by former Gov. Robert Bentley. He’s taken to social media to release information against Strange on a near daily bases. “Luther Strange obstructed the impeachment process of then-governor Robert Bentley,” Zeigler added. “The people of Alabama have the final say in this senate seat. I believe the voters will rise up and reject Bentley-appointed Senator Strange in favor of a people’s-elected Senator Roy Moore.” Moore led the crowded Aug. 15 primary with 39 percent of the vote, vs. Strange’s 32 percent. The winner of the runoff will go on to face Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 general election.
Sarah Palin backs Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed U.S. Senate hopeful Roy Moore on Thursday a month ahead of his primary runoff with incumbent U.S. Sen. Luther Strange. “Glad he’s running and am honored to endorse Judge Roy Moore for the US Senate,” Palin said in a statement. “Judge Moore has shown he has what it takes to stand up to the out-of-touch political establishment.” “The Judge has proven he’s not afraid of a fight for what is right, and he’s ready to take on DC’s swamp monsters and make America great again. We need more bold leaders like Judge Moore who will fight for all of us in the US senate,” Palin added. The former Ala. Chief Justice responded to the endorsement by thanking Palin. “I am honored to have the endorsement of Governor Sarah Palin,” said Moore. “Governor Palin has a strong record of speaking out for conservative causes and standing up to the Washington establishment. Having her support shows how conservatives across the country are uniting behind our campaign to send a message to Mitch McConnell and the Washington elites who are trying to buy this election.” Strange and Moore are headed to a Republican primary runoff on Sept. 26 to fill the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The winner will go on to the Dec.12 general election.
Mo Brooks blames Donald Trump robocall for special election loss
Republican U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks gave onlookers a window into his election autopsy via text after falling short in the Tuesday primary for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat. Brooks earned a little under 20 percent in the special primary, which put him in third place behind former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore and sitting Sen. Luther Strange, who will face off in a Sept. 26 runoff election ahead of the Dec. 12 general. The House Freedom Caucus member texted journalists, lawmakers and GOP officials Wednesday with claims that his internal poll numbers showed him surging in front of Strange, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year by disgraced former Gov. Robert Bentley. He said President Donald Trump’s endorsement gave the former Alabama Attorney General a boost, but heading into the weekend before Election Day Strange’s lead had diminished to 2 or 3 points in his and other polls. He credits a robocall featuring a recording of Trump for turning the tide in the final 48 hours. “Over the weekend we caught back up. Then, on Monday and Tuesday, voters started getting a personal robocall from the President urging them to support LS. You can imagine the impact on a rural or elderly voter to hear PDJT calling! That final phone call caused LS to surge past us,” he wrote. Of course, Brooks said attack ads against him played a role, but maybe not in the way the Mitch McConnell-backed Senate Leadership Fund hoped. “Also, the nonstop LS/[Mitch McConnell] attack ads pushed anti-LS voters from me to [Roy Moore]. Hence, the final result. In the 5th Congressional District, we won 42 percent to 29 percent RM to 28 percent LS,” he added. McConnell’s political committee had spent more than $3.5 million on the race by the end of July, with much of that money being poured into ads attacking Brooks for not being supportive enough of Trump, who enjoys an 85 percent approval rating among Yellowhammer State Republicans. “An interesting note,” Brooks wrote in closing. “68% of Alabama GOP Primary voters rejected PDJT’s endorsement and voted against LS. Not yet sure what the national implications of that might be but we will find out.” Whis his Senate hopes dashed, Brooks announced that he will seek a fifth term in CD 5 next year. He has so far declined to endorse Moore or Strange in the Senate race.
