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The 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama took place on December 12, 2017, in order for the winner to serve the remainder of the U.S. Senate term ending on January 3, 2021. A vacancy arose from Senator Jeff Sessions's February 8, 2017, resignation from the Senate. Sessions resigned his post to serve as the 84th U.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed Luther Strange, the attorney general of Alabama, to fill the vacancy until a special election could take place. The special election was scheduled for December 12, 2017.[2]
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Turnout | 40.5%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Jones: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Moore: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, won the Democratic primary election. Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, competed with Strange and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks in the August 15, 2017, Republican primary; the two highest vote-getters, Moore and Strange, advanced to a runoff.[3] President Donald Trump supported Strange during the primary runoff, as did much of the Republican establishment in the Senate.[4][5] Moore won the primary runoff on September 26, 2017.[6][7]
Following the primaries, Moore was expected to easily win the general election. Polling showed him with a clear lead, and Alabama is known for its overwhelming support for Republicans. The race was upended in mid-November 2017, when multiple women alleged that Moore had made unwanted advances or sexually assaulted them when he was in his early thirties and they were in their teens (the youngest was 14 at the time), attracting widespread national media coverage of the election.[8][9] As a result of these allegations, many national Republican leaders and office holders called for Moore to withdraw from the special election, rescinded their endorsements of him, and stopped funding his campaign.[10][11][12] Trump and many Alabama Republicans reaffirmed their support.[13] At the time of the revelations, it was too late to remove his name from the ballot.
On December 12, 2017, Jones won by a margin of 1.63% or 21,924 votes; however, Moore refused to concede.[14][15] Jones' victory was widely labeled a major upset. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, becoming the first Democratic U.S. senator from Alabama since Howell Heflin left office in 1997.[16] This is the only time Democrats won a statewide election in Alabama since 2008, when Lucy Baxley was elected President of the Alabama Public Service Commission.
Following then-President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of then-Senator Sessions to be U.S. attorney general, Robert Aderholt, a member of the United States House of Representatives, had asked to be appointed to the seat.[17] Representative Mo Brooks had also expressed interest in the seat, while Strange had stated before being selected that he would run for the seat in the special election whether or not he was appointed.[18][19] Other candidates Governor Bentley interviewed for the Senate appointment included Moore; Del Marsh, the president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate; and Jim Byard, the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.[20]
A vacancy arose from Senator Jeff Sessions' February 8, 2017 resignation to serve as the 84th U.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed State Attorney General Luther Strange to fill the vacancy until a special election could take place. Bentley controversially scheduled the special election to occur in 2018 instead of sooner.[21][22] When Kay Ivey succeeded Bentley as Alabama's Governor, she rescheduled the special election for December 12, 2017, a move she said was made to adhere with state law.[2]
The Republican primary attracted national attention, especially following Trump's endorsement of incumbent Senator Luther Strange. Strange was backed by several key figures within the Republican establishment, most notably Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. His two main rivals in the primary were former state judge Roy Moore and Congressman Mo Brooks. While Strange was expected to advance through the first round of the primary, almost every opinion poll showed him trailing Roy Moore in a potential runoff. Strange placed second behind Roy Moore, securing a spot in the runoff.[23]
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Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
James Beretta |
Joseph Breault |
Randy Brinson |
Mo Brooks |
Mary Maxwell |
Roy Moore |
Bryan Peeples |
Trip Pittman |
Luther Strange |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trafalgar Group (R)[107] | August 12–13, 2017 | 870 | ± 3.3% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 17% | 1% | 38% | 1% | 6% | 24% | 5% |
Emerson College[108] | August 10–12, 2017 | 373 | ± 5.0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 15% | 0% | 29% | 0% | 10% | 32% | 11% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[109] | August 8–10, 2017 | 1,439 | ± 2.6% | 1% | 1% | 4% | 20% | 2% | 35% | 1% | 6% | 23% | 8% |
Cygnal (R)[110] | August 8–9, 2017 | 502 | ± 4.4% | – | – | 2% | 18% | – | 31% | – | 7% | 23% | 13% |
Strategy Research[111] | August 7, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 2.0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 19% | 4% | 35% | 1% | 9% | 29% | 0% |
JMC Analytics (R)[112] | August 5–6, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | – | – | 2% | 19% | – | 30% | – | 6% | 22% | 17% |
RRH Elections (R)[113] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | – | – | 2% | 18% | – | 31% | – | 8% | 29% | 11% |
Strategy Research[114] | July 24, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 16% | 5% | 33% | 2% | 5% | 35% | – |
Cygnal (R)[115] | July 20–21, 2017 | 500 | ± 2.0% | – | – | – | 16% | – | 26% | – | – | 33% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 164,524 | 38.9% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 138,971 | 32.8% | |
Republican | Mo Brooks | 83,287 | 19.7% | |
Republican | Trip Pittman | 29,124 | 6.9% | |
Republican | Randy Brinson | 2,978 | 0.6% | |
Republican | Bryan Peeples | 1,579 | 0.4% | |
Republican | Mary Maxwell | 1,543 | 0.4% | |
Republican | James Beretta | 1,078 | 0.3% | |
Republican | Dom Gentile | 303 | 0.1% | |
Republican | Joseph Breault | 252 | 0.1% | |
Total votes | 423,282 | 100.0% |
President Donald Trump supported Strange during the primary runoff, in addition to much of the Republican establishment in the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who made the success of Strange's candidacy a major priority.[4][5] Trump's efforts on behalf of Strange included tweeting and a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.[116] Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Strange as well.[117][6] With McConnell's help, Strange outspent Moore by a margin of 10-to-1.[117][118]
National interest in the race dramatically increased in the month before the runoff. Strange maintained his endorsement from Trump, who campaigned for him in Huntsville during the closing days of the campaign.[116] Trump's endorsement of Strange sparked criticism among his own base, many of whom preferred Moore and detested Strange for being seemingly too friendly with the GOP establishment. Several notable figures close to Trump broke from the president to endorse Moore, including HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Breitbart Executive Chairman Steve Bannon. Despite Trump's endorsement, Strange was defeated by Roy Moore in the runoff,[119] 54.6%-45.4%.[120]
Moore won the primary runoff on September 26, 2017.[6][7] This was the first time that an incumbent U.S. senator having active White House support lost a primary since Arlen Specter lost to Joe Sestak in 2010.[121]
No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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Strange | Moore | |||||
1 | Sep. 21, 2017 | Raycom Media | Hal Fulmer | C-SPAN | P | P |
Model | Moore | Strange | Spread |
---|---|---|---|
RealClearPolitics[122] | 52.5% | 41.5% | Moore +11.0 |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Roy Moore |
Luther Strange |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cygnal (R)[123] | September 23–24, 2017 | 996 | ± 3.1% | 52% | 41% | 7% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[124] | September 23–24, 2017 | 1,073 | ± 3.0% | 57% | 41% | 2% |
Optimus (R)[125] | September 22–23, 2017 | 1,045 | ± 2.9% | 55% | 45% | – |
Emerson College[126] | September 21–23, 2017 | 367 | ± 5.1% | 50% | 40% | 10% |
Gravis Marketing[127] | September 21–22, 2017 | 559 | ± 4.1% | 48% | 40% | 12% |
Strategy Research[128] | September 20, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 3.0% | 54% | 46% | – |
Strategy Research[129] | September 18, 2017 | 2,930 | ± 3.0% | 53% | 47% | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[130] | September 16–17, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 47% | 39% | 14% |
Voter Consumer Research (R-SLF)[131] | September 9–10, 2017 | 604 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 40% | 19% |
Emerson College[132] | September 8–9, 2017 | 355 | ± 5.2% | 40% | 26% | 34% |
Strategic National[133] | September 6–7, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 51% | 35% | 14% |
Southeast Research[134] | August 29–31, 2017 | 401 | ± 5.0% | 52% | 36% | 12% |
Harper Polling[135] | August 24–26, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 45% | 8% |
Voter Consumer Research (R-SLF)[136] | August 21–23, 2017 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 41% | 14% |
Opinion Savvy[137] | August 22, 2017 | 494 | ± 4.4% | 50% | 32% | 18% |
JMC Analytics (R)[138] | August 17–19, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 51% | 32% | 17% |
Cygnal (R)[110] | August 8–9, 2017 | 502 | ± 4.4% | 45% | 34% | 11% |
RRH Elections (R)[139] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | 34% | 32% | 34% |
Poll source | Date(s)
administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Roy Moore |
Mo Brooks |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RRH Elections (R)[139] | July 31 – August 3, 2017 | 426 | ± 5.0% | 43% | 20% | 37% |
Campaign finance reports as of September 6, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Luther Strange (R) | $4,185,594 | $4,061,521 | $631,814 |
Roy Moore (R) | $1,417,416 | $1,133,774 | $285,407 |
Source: Federal Election Commission[140] |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Moore | 262,204 | 54.59% | |
Republican | Luther Strange (incumbent) | 218,066 | 45.41% | |
Total votes | 480,270 | 100.00% |
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Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Will Boyd |
Vann Caldwell |
Jason Fisher |
Michael Hansen |
Doug Jones |
Robert Kennedy Jr. |
Charles Nana |
Undecided |
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Emerson College[173] | August 10–12, 2017 | 164 | ± 7.6% | 8% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 40% | 23% | 1% | 25% |
Strategy Research[111] | August 7, 2017 | 2,000 | ± 2.0% | 9% | 5% | 3% | 7% | 30% | 40% | 5% | – |
Strategy Research[114] | July 24, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 28% | 49% | 5% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Doug Jones | 109,105 | 66.1% | |
Democratic | Robert Kennedy Jr. | 29,215 | 17.7% | |
Democratic | Michael Hansen | 11,105 | 6.7% | |
Democratic | Will Boyd | 8,010 | 4.9% | |
Democratic | Jason Fisher | 3,478 | 2.1% | |
Democratic | Brian McGee | 1,450 | 0.9% | |
Democratic | Charles Nana | 1,404 | 0.9% | |
Democratic | Vann Caldwell | 1,239 | 0.8% | |
Total votes | 165,006 | 100.0% |
On November 9, The Washington Post reported that four women had accused Roy Moore of engaging in sexual conduct with them when they were teenagers and he was an assistant district attorney in his thirties. One of the women was 14 years old at the time, below the legal age of consent.[8] A few days later a fifth woman said that she had received unwanted attention from Moore when she was 15 years old, and that in December 1977 or January 1978,[181] when she was 16, Moore sexually assaulted her.[9][182] Moore denied the allegations.
After this, certain Republican leaders and conservative organizations withdrew their endorsements of Moore or asked him to drop out of the campaign. These included Texas Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Attorney General and former seat holder Jeff Sessions, Ivanka Trump,[183] the National Republican Senatorial Committee,[184] former Republican presidential nominees Mitt Romney[185] and John McCain,[186] Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,[187] Ohio Governor John Kasich,[188] Utah Senator Mike Lee,[189] Montana Senator Steve Daines,[190] and House Representatives Barbara Comstock, Carlos Curbelo, and Adam Kinzinger, as well as the Young Republican Federation of Alabama.[191][192][193][194][195] The state's senior Senator Richard Shelby also refused to endorse Moore. Other conservative websites and organizations such as National Review urged readers not to vote for Moore.[196][197] Despite this, Moore continued to receive support from the state party and a week before the election, President Donald Trump strongly endorsed Moore.[198] Following Trump's endorsement, the RNC reinstated their support for him,[199] and Republican leaders said they would "let the people of Alabama decide" whether to elect Moore.[200]
At the time of the revelations, it was too close to the election for Moore's name to be removed from the ballot, as Alabama law forbids any change to names on the ballot within 76 days of any primary or general election.[201] Republican officials proposed various ways to promote an alternate Republican candidate. One suggestion was to ask Governor Kay Ivey to delay the special election until 2018,[202] but Ivey said she had no plans to change the election date.[203] Some Republicans such as Senator Lisa Murkowski floated the prospect of a write-in campaign to elect Luther Strange, with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch actively endorsing a write-in campaign for Strange.[204] However, Strange said it was "highly unlikely" that he would run a write-in campaign.[205] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who formerly held the Senate seat, as a write-in candidate.[206] In late November, Retired Marine Col. Lee Busby launched a write-in campaign, stating that he thought there was room for a centrist in the race.[207]
Republican nominee Roy Moore refused to debate Democratic nominee Doug Jones.[208][209][210] Moore turned down debate invitations extended by the League of Women Voters,[209] WHNT-TV and AL.com.[210][208] Jones' campaign said that Jones was "willing to debate Roy Moore anytime, anywhere" and accused Moore of "hiding from the voters, from the media and from his record for weeks."[210][208] Moore and his campaign stated that he refused to debate Jones because their policy positions were already clear to voters and thus there was no need for a formal debate.[210][208]
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[211] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[212] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
Rothenberg Political Report[213] | Tossup | December 7, 2017 |
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Campaign finance reports as of November 22, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Doug Jones (D) | $11,683,671 | $8,941,988 | $2,610,481 |
Roy Moore (R) | $4,291,702 | $3,616,629 | $636,046 |
Source: Federal Election Commission[381] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Roy Moore (R) |
Doug Jones (D) |
Lee Busby (R) write-in |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research[382] | December 9–11, 2017 | 1,543 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 45% | – | – | 4% |
SurveyMonkey[383] | November 30 – December 11, 2017 | 2,203 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 49% | – | – | 4% |
Fox News[384] | December 7–10, 2017 | 1,127 | ± 3.0% | 40% | 50% | – | 2% | 8% |
Emerson College[385] | December 7–9, 2017 | 600 | ± 3.9% | 53% | 44% | – | 4% | – |
Monmouth University[386] | December 6–9, 2017 | 546 | ± 4.2% | 46% | 46% | – | 2% | 6% |
Public Policy Polling (D)*[387] | December 7–8, 2017 | 1,092 | ± 3.8% | 46% | 48% | – | – | 6% |
Gravis Marketing[388] | December 5–8, 2017 | 1,254 | ± 2.8% | 49% | 45% | – | – | 6% |
Trafalgar Group (R)[389] | December 6–7, 2017 | 1,419 | ± 3.1% | 51% | 46% | – | 3% | – |
Change Research[390] | December 5–7, 2017 | 2,443 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 44% | – | – | 5% |
SurveyMonkey[391] | November 30 – December 7, 2017 | 1,559 | ± 5.5% | 47% | 49% | – | – | 4% |
Strategy Research[392] | December 4, 2017 | 3,200 | ± 2.0% | 50% | 43% | – | 3% | 4% |
Gravis Marketing[393] | December 1–3, 2017 | 1,276 | ± 2.7% | 44% | 48% | – | – | 8% |
Emerson College[394] | November 30 – December 2, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 49% | 46% | 5% | – | – |
YouGov[395] | November 28 – December 1, 2017 | 1,067 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 43% | – | 4% | 4% |
Washington Post/Schar School[396] | November 27–30, 2017 | 739 | ± 4.5% | 47% | 50% | – | 3% | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[397] | November 27–28, 2017 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 44% | – | 5%[398] | 2% |
National Research Inc (R)[399] | November 26–28, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 45% | – | – | 9% |
Change Research[400] | November 26–27, 2017 | 1,868 | ± 2.3% | 49% | 44% | – | – | 7% |
Emerson College[401] | November 25–27, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 53% | 47% | – | – | – |
Strategy Research[402] | November 20, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 47% | 45% | – | 3% | 5% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[403] | November 18–20, 2017 | 11,641 | ± 1.2% | 46% | 40% | – | – | 13% |
Change Research[404] | November 15–16, 2017 | 2,090 | – | 43% | 46% | – | – | 11% |
National Research Inc[405] | November 13–16, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 49% | – | – | 10% |
Gravis Marketing[406] | November 14–15, 2017 | 628 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 47% | – | – | 11% |
Fox News[407] | November 13–15, 2017 | 649 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 50% | – | 2% | 7% |
Strategy Research[408] | November 13, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.0% | 49% | 43% | – | – | 8% |
NRSC (R)[409] | November 12–13, 2017 | 500 | – | 39% | 51% | – | – | 10% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[410] | November 11, 2017 | 1,536 | ± 3.3% | 50% | 40% | – | – | 11% |
Emerson College[411] | November 9–11, 2017 | 600 | ± 3.9% | 55% | 45% | – | – | – |
JMC Analytics (R)[412] | November 9–11, 2017 | 575 | ± 4.1% | 44% | 48% | – | 2%[413] | 6% |
Change Research[414] | November 9–11, 2017 | 1,855 | – | 44% | 40% | – | 3% | 13% |
Gravis Marketing[415] | November 10, 2017 | 478 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 46% | – | – | 6% |
WT&S Consulting (R)[410] | November 9, 2017 | 1,354 | ± 3.5% | 50% | 39% | – | – | 11% |
Opinion Savvy[416] | November 9, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 46% | 46% | – | 4% | 4% |
Moore Sexual Misconduct Allegations Reported | ||||||||
NRSC (R)[409] | November 6–7, 2017 | – | – | 51% | 42% | – | – | 8% |
Strategy Research[417] | November 6, 2017 | 2,200 | ± 2.0% | 51% | 40% | – | – | 9% |
Axis Research (R-SLF)[418] | October 24–26, 2017 | 503 | ± 4.5% | 56% | 39% | – | – | 5% |
Strategy Research[419] | October 19, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 3.0% | 52% | 41% | – | – | 7% |
Strategy Research[420] | October 16, 2017 | 3,000 | ± 2.5% | 51% | 40% | – | – | 9% |
Fox News[421] | October 14–16, 2017 | 801 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 42% | – | 3% | 11% |
NRSC (R)[409] | October 3–5, 2017 | – | – | 53% | 37% | – | – | 10% |
Cygnal (R)[422] | October 2–5, 2017 | 497 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 41% | – | – | 9% |
JMC Analytics (R)[423] | September 30 – October 1, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 48% | 40% | – | 1%[424] | 11% |
Opinion Savvy[425] | September 27–28, 2017 | 590 | ± 4.0% | 50% | 45% | – | – | 5% |
Emerson College[126] | September 21–23, 2017 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 52% | 30% | – | – | 18% |
Emerson College[132] | September 8–9, 2017 | 416 | ± 4.8% | 44% | 40% | – | – | 16% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Roy Moore (R) |
Doug Jones (D) |
Luther Strange (R) |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opinion Savvy[426] | November 9, 2017 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 41% | 44% | 12% | 1% | 2% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Luther Strange (R) |
Doug Jones (D) |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox News[427] | November 13–15, 2017 | 649 LV | ± 3.5% | 38% | 48% | 3% | 5% |
823 RV | ± 3.0% | 39% | 46% | 3% | 6% | ||
Emerson College[428] | September 21–23, 2017 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 49% | 36% | – | 15% |
Emerson College[429] | September 8–9, 2017 | 416 | ± 4.8% | 43% | 40% | – | 17% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Generic Republican |
Generic Democrat |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington Post/Schar School[430] | November 27–30, 2017 | 739 | ± 4.5% | 50% | 44% | 6% |
JMC Analytics (R)[431] | November 27–28, 2017 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 49% | 46% | 3% |
JMC Analytics (R)[432] | November 9–11, 2017 | 575 | ± 4.1% | 45% | 47% | 8% |
JMC Analytics (R)[433] | September 30 – October 1, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 45% | 6% |
with Roy Moore on ballot and Luther Strange as write-in candidate:
with Luther Strange on ballot:
with generic Republican/Democrat
At 9:23 p.m. CST on December 12, 2017, the Associated Press called the election for Jones; however, Moore refused to concede.[14][15] Jones was the first Democratic candidate to win a statewide election in Alabama since former lieutenant governor Lucy Baxley was elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2008.[434] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, becoming the first Democratic U.S. senator from Alabama since Howell Heflin left office in 1997.[16]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Doug Jones | 673,896 | 49.97% | +49.97% | |
Republican | Roy Moore | 651,972 | 48.34% | −48.91% | |
Write-in | 22,852 | 1.69% | −1.06% | ||
Total votes | 1,348,720 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Despite losing the state, Moore won 6 of 7 congressional districts. However, he only won one district by a margin of more than 10 percentage points.[437]
District | Moore | Jones | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 50% | 48% | Bradley Byrne |
2nd | 53% | 45% | Martha Roby |
3rd | 51% | 48% | Mike Rogers |
4th | 68% | 30% | Robert Aderholt |
5th | 48.8% | 48.7% | Mo Brooks |
6th | 53% | 45% | Gary Palmer |
7th | 20% | 79% | Terri Sewell |
Doug Jones | Roy Moore | Write-ins | Total votes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Turnout | % |
Autauga | 5,615 | 38.38% | 8,762 | 59.90% | 253 | 1.73% | 14,630 | 38.32% |
Baldwin | 22,261 | 35.60% | 38,566 | 61.68% | 1,703 | 2.72% | 62,530 | 42.74% |
Barbour | 3,716 | 57.53% | 2,702 | 41.83% | 41 | 0.63% | 6,459 | 38.35% |
Bibb | 1,567 | 29.95% | 3,599 | 68.79% | 66 | 1.26% | 5,232 | 38.32% |
Blount | 2,408 | 16.94% | 11,631 | 81.80% | 180 | 1.27% | 14,219 | 37.45% |
Bullock | 2,715 | 80.37% | 656 | 19.42% | 7 | 0.21% | 3,378 | 45.53% |
Butler | 2,915 | 51.02% | 2,758 | 48.27% | 41 | 0.72% | 5,714 | 42.36% |
Calhoun | 12,331 | 44.04% | 15,238 | 54.43% | 429 | 1.53% | 27,998 | 36.18% |
Chambers | 4,257 | 55.75% | 3,312 | 43.37% | 67 | 0.88% | 7,636 | 32.42% |
Cherokee | 1,529 | 27.09% | 4,006 | 70.98% | 109 | 1.93% | 5,644 | 33.00% |
Chilton | 2,306 | 23.06% | 7,563 | 75.62% | 132 | 1.32% | 10,001 | 35.42% |
Choctaw | 2,277 | 53.66% | 1,949 | 45.93% | 17 | 0.40% | 4,243 | 40.10% |
Clarke | 4,363 | 51.93% | 3,995 | 47.55% | 43 | 0.51% | 8,401 | 43.96% |
Clay | 990 | 27.52% | 2,589 | 71.96% | 19 | 0.53% | 3,598 | 36.92% |
Cleburne | 600 | 19.37% | 2,468 | 79.66% | 30 | 0.97% | 3,098 | 29.47% |
Coffee | 3,730 | 31.10% | 8,063 | 67.22% | 202 | 1.68% | 11,995 | 36.52% |
Colbert | 6,881 | 46.41% | 7,771 | 52.41% | 171 | 1.15% | 14,828 | 37.75% |
Conecuh | 2,259 | 55.21% | 1,815 | 44.35% | 18 | 0.44% | 4,092 | 39.84% |
Coosa | 1,415 | 42.71% | 1,867 | 56.39% | 30 | 0.91% | 3,312 | 41.42% |
Covington | 2,107 | 23.33% | 6,835 | 75.69% | 88 | 0.97% | 9,030 | 35.09% |
Crenshaw | 1,320 | 35.46% | 2,347 | 63.04% | 56 | 1.50% | 3,725 | 37.66% |
Cullman | 4,161 | 19.73% | 16,609 | 78.74% | 324 | 1.54% | 21,094 | 37.61% |
Dale | 3,844 | 35.04% | 6,991 | 63.72% | 136 | 1.24% | 10,971 | 34.87% |
Dallas | 10,503 | 74.75% | 3,487 | 24.82% | 60 | 0.43% | 14,050 | 44.88% |
DeKalb | 3,559 | 25.62% | 10,097 | 72.69% | 234 | 1.68% | 13,890 | 34.31% |
Elmore | 7,711 | 34.33% | 14,415 | 64.16% | 338 | 1.50% | 22,464 | 41.34% |
Escambia | 3,642 | 41.78% | 4,987 | 57.22% | 87 | 1.00% | 8,716 | 35.39% |
Etowah | 10,568 | 40.34% | 15,730 | 60.04% | 620 | 2.37% | 26,918 | 38.57% |
Fayette | 1,143 | 24.39% | 3,491 | 74.55% | 50 | 1.07% | 4,684 | 38.40% |
Franklin | 1,771 | 29.34% | 4,216 | 69.86% | 48 | 0.80% | 6,035 | 33.50% |
Geneva | 1,290 | 18.92% | 5,433 | 79.72% | 93 | 1.37% | 6,816 | 37.84% |
Greene | 3,345 | 87.64% | 462 | 12.12% | 9 | 0.24% | 3,816 | 53.89% |
Hale | 3,902 | 69.33% | 1,691 | 30.11% | 32 | 0.57% | 5,625 | 46.26% |
Henry | 1,899 | 38.32% | 3,015 | 60.91% | 38 | 0.77% | 4,952 | 39.20% |
Houston | 9,198 | 37.81% | 14,846 | 61.02% | 285 | 1.17% | 24,329 | 34.18% |
Jackson | 3,330 | 30.82% | 7,317 | 67.75% | 154 | 1.43% | 10,801 | 29.44% |
Jefferson | 149,759 | 68.13% | 66,350 | 30.18% | 3,716 | 1.69% | 219,825 | 47.38% |
Lamar | 779 | 21.31% | 2,847 | 77.89% | 29 | 0.79% | 3,655 | 34.46% |
Lauderdale | 9,970 | 43.02% | 12,818 | 55.31% | 388 | 1.67% | 23,176 | 37.53% |
Lawrence | 3,033 | 36.04% | 5,321 | 63.23% | 61 | 0.72% | 8,415 | 35.49% |
Lee | 19,886 | 57.61% | 14,059 | 40.73% | 674 | 1.95% | 34,519 | 32.90% |
Limestone | 9,606 | 39.19% | 14,298 | 58.33% | 515 | 2.10% | 24,514 | 41.18% |
Lowndes | 3,783 | 79.08% | 988 | 20.65% | 13 | 0.27% | 4,784 | 47.14% |
Macon | 5,783 | 88.14% | 759 | 11.56% | 20 | 0.30% | 6,567 | 37.70% |
Madison | 65,997 | 56.98% | 46,381 | 40.04% | 3,447 | 2.98% | 115,825 | 45.68% |
Marengo | 4,498 | 61.11% | 2,805 | 38.11% | 62 | 0.84% | 7,361 | 46.01% |
Marion | 1,311 | 19.72% | 5,269 | 79.25% | 68 | 1.02% | 6,647 | 32.82% |
Marshall | 5,145 | 26.47% | 13,842 | 71.21% | 450 | 2.32% | 19,437 | 34.22% |
Mobile | 62,716 | 56.46% | 46,828 | 42.15% | 1,546 | 1.39% | 111,090 | 38.55% |
Monroe | 3,266 | 49.59% | 3,280 | 49.80% | 40 | 0.61% | 6,586 | 40.79% |
Montgomery | 48,374 | 72.35% | 17,739 | 26.53% | 745 | 1.11% | 66,858 | 44.05% |
Morgan | 10,935 | 35.48% | 19,215 | 62.34% | 671 | 2.18% | 30,821 | 40.28% |
Perry | 3,140 | 79.04% | 821 | 20.68% | 11 | 0.28% | 3,972 | 48.70% |
Pickens | 3,064 | 50.44% | 2,965 | 48.81% | 46 | 0.76% | 6,075 | 44.18% |
Pike | 4,015 | 48.51% | 4,165 | 50.32% | 97 | 1.17% | 8,277 | 37.58% |
Randolph | 1,695 | 34.25% | 3,231 | 65.29% | 23 | 0.46% | 4,949 | 29.66% |
Russell | 6,761 | 64.77% | 3,622 | 34.70% | 55 | 0.53% | 10,438 | 28.52% |
Shelby | 27,311 | 41.71% | 36,455 | 55.67% | 1,718 | 2.62% | 65,484 | 45.63% |
St. Clair | 6,212 | 27.43% | 15,889 | 70.15% | 459 | 2.03% | 22,560 | 38.05% |
Sumter | 3,527 | 80.91% | 814 | 18.67% | 18 | 0.41% | 4,359 | 43.95% |
Talladega | 9,977 | 50.13% | 9,701 | 48.75% | 223 | 1.12% | 19,901 | 37.45% |
Tallapoosa | 4,605 | 38.59% | 7,179 | 60.16% | 150 | 1.26% | 11,934 | 40.19% |
Tuscaloosa | 30,869 | 57.23% | 22,067 | 40.91% | 1,007 | 1.87% | 53,943 | 40.83% |
Walker | 4,330 | 26.20% | 11,938 | 72.23% | 259 | 1.57% | 16,527 | 35.19% |
Washington | 1,805 | 34.86% | 3,325 | 64.21% | 48 | 0.93% | 5,178 | 39.78% |
Wilcox | 3,345 | 76.74% | 1,000 | 22.94% | 16 | 0.37% | 4,359 | 46.94% |
Winston | 911 | 16.10% | 4,681 | 82.71% | 67 | 1.18% | 5,659 | 35.80% |
Totals | 673,896 | 49.97% | 651,972 | 48.34% | 22,852 | 1.69% | 1,348,720 | 100.00% |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore by a margin of 21,924 votes. Voter turnout was 40.54% of Alabama's 3,326,812[438] registered voters.
Jones won primarily by running up huge margins in the state's major cities, as well as winning 96% of African American voters. The state's four largest counties—Jefferson (home to the state's largest city of Birmingham), Mobile (home to Mobile), Madison (home to Huntsville), and Montgomery (home to the state capital of Montgomery)—all gave Jones 56 percent or more of the vote. He carried Jefferson by over 83,800 votes, and Montgomery by almost 30,500 votes; either county would have been more than enough to give him the victory. Jones also dominated the Black Belt. Jones won 61% of votes from voters under 45, and 51% of independent voters. While Moore dominated the state's rural areas outside of the Black Belt, he significantly underperformed Trump's totals in those areas, as well as the suburbs such as traditional GOP fortress Shelby County, which Moore won by a small margin.[439]
As of December 15, Moore demanded a recount and refused to concede the race, despite being urged by Trump, Bannon, and others to concede. In Alabama, if the final margin of victory is less than 0.5%, then a recount is automatically triggered. If not, then either candidate can request a recount at their own expense.[440][441] However, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill estimated that a recount could cost anywhere from $1 million to $1.5 million, an amount that would have had to be paid in full when the request is made. Moore had only $636,046 on hand by the time the campaign ended.[442] A number of right-leaning websites pushed conspiracy theories about voter fraud providing the margin for Jones.[443] Merrill noted on December 20 that the only outstanding ballots were 366 military ballots and 4,967 provisional ballots; even if all those votes were for Moore, it would not have been enough to trigger an automatic recount.[444]
Because the number of write-in votes was larger than Jones' margin of victory, the names written in were both counted and listed.[445] Luther Strange, who lost the Republican primary to Moore, received the most write-in votes, followed by former White House aide Lee Busby, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who also ran in the Republican Senate primary, Libertarian write-in candidate Ron Bishop, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Nick Saban, head coach for University of Alabama's football team, finished in seventh with more than 250 votes.[446]
After the election, Moore filed a lawsuit attempting to block the state from certifying the election and calling for an investigation into voter fraud. On December 28, 2017, a judge dismissed this lawsuit and state officials certified the election results, officially declaring Doug Jones the winner.[447] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, by Vice President Mike Pence.[16] Jones became the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Alabama since former lieutenant governor Lucy Baxley was elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission in 2008 over Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.[434] Prior to that, Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. was elected Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2006 over Republican Luther Strange.[448] The last Democrat to win a federal statewide election in Alabama was Richard Shelby in 1992, who switched to the Republican Party in late 1994.[449]
Demographic subgroup | Jones | Moore | % of Voters | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | ||||
Men | 42 | 56 | 49 | |
Women | 57 | 41 | 51 | |
Age | ||||
18–24 years old | 59 | 40 | 8 | |
25–29 years old | 62 | 35 | 5 | |
30–39 years old | 66 | 32 | 12 | |
40–49 years old | 53 | 46 | 20 | |
50–64 years old | 46 | 53 | 32 | |
65 and older | 40 | 59 | 23 | |
Race | ||||
White | 30 | 68 | 66 | |
Black | 96 | 4 | 29 | |
Race by gender | ||||
White men | 26 | 72 | 35 | |
White women | 34 | 63 | 31 | |
Black men | 93 | 6 | 11 | |
Black women | 98 | 2 | 17 | |
Education | ||||
High school or less | 44 | 56 | 20 | |
Some college education | 46 | 50 | 36 | |
College degree | 52 | 46 | 28 | |
Advanced degree | 58 | 39 | 16 | |
Party ID | ||||
Democrats | 98 | 2 | 37 | |
Republicans | 8 | 91 | 43 | |
Independents | 51 | 43 | 21 | |
Ideology | ||||
Liberals | 86 | 14 | 23 | |
Moderates | 74 | 25 | 31 | |
Conservatives | 15 | 83 | 45 | |
Children under 18 in your home? | ||||
Yes | 56 | 42 | 35 | |
No | 49 | 50 | 65 | |
Are sexual misconduct allegations against Moore: | ||||
Definitely True | 97 | 2 | 26 | |
Probably True | 82 | 15 | 26 | |
Probably False | 3 | 95 | 27 | |
Definitely False | 7 | 93 | 15 | |
When did you decide your vote? | ||||
Last few days | 38 | 57 | 12 | |
Earlier in December | 47 | 50 | 9 | |
In November | 53 | 46 | 21 | |
Before November | 53 | 46 | 57 | |
Area type | ||||
Urban | 85 | 14 | 20 | |
Suburban | 47 | 51 | 38 | |
Rural | 36 | 62 | 42 | |
Source: CNN[450] |
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