Brooks says Senate hopes dashed by Trump’s endorsement of Strange

Published 5:45 am Thursday, August 17, 2017

Despite the millions spent on U.S. Sen. Luther Strange’s campaign, it wasn’t enough to keep him out of a runoff with Judge Roy Moore, the man twice removed from the Alabama Supreme Court.

Moore garnered 38.87 percent of the state’s GOP vote, compared to 32.83 for Strange. U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks finished third with 19.68 percent. The runoff between the Moore and Strange is set for Sept. 26. The winner of the runoff will face Democratic challenger Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 special election.

In Limestone, Brooks had 41 percent, compared to 30 for Moore and 25 for Strange. Brooks had 50 percent in his home county of Madison, compared to 26.8 percent for Strange and 18.9 for Moore.

Brooks finished third in Lauderdale and second in Morgan, two other counties he represents.

On Wednesday, Brooks said polls showed he was surging ahead of Strange prior to President Donald Trump’s decision to endorse Strange. Trump also recorded a robocall for Strange, which Brooks said may have swayed some voters.

“You can imagine the impact on a rural or elderly voter to hear PDJT calling!” Brooks said in a text message to supporters and members of the media. “That final phone call caused (Strange) to surge past us. Also, the nonstop … attack ads pushed anti-Strange voters from me to (Roy Moore).”

Brooks also pointed out 68 percent of GOP primary voters rejected Trump’s endorsement and voted against Strange.

“Not yet sure what the national implications of that might be but we will find out,” Brooks said in the statement.

Brooks intends to seek re-election to his U.S. House seat in 2018.

Looking forward

Evangelical voters cherish Moore as a culture-war icon after he was twice stripped of his chief justice duties, for refusing to remove a biblical monument he installed in a state judiciary building and for resisting federal gay marriage rulings.

“This is a great victory. The attempt by the silk stocking Washington elitists to control the vote of the people of Alabama has failed,” Moore said at his victory party in downtown Montgomery, where a copy of the Ten Commandments was among the decorations.

Strange was Alabama’s attorney general before being appointed to the Senate by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who soon resigned in scandal. Strange said he did Bentley no favors, but his challengers questioned the ethics of seeking the appointment while investigating the governor.

Moore has a loyal following among evangelicals, but he is a polarizing figure. His harshest critics call him the “Ayatollah of Alabama” and accuse him of intertwining his personal religious beliefs and judicial responsibilities.

Moore wore his ousters from the bench as badges of honor, telling Republican voters they are like battle scars.

“He’s the only one who hasn’t been talking crap about the others,” said Jimmy Wright, who voted for Moore in rural Gallant in northeast Alabama.

But in Montgomery, retired teacher Tommy Goggans said he voted to try to keep Moore from winning. “He’s been kicked out of everything he’s done.”

Jones has support

Jones served as a U.S. attorney during the Clinton administration and is backed by former Vice President Joe Biden. He’s perhaps best known for leading the prosecution that finally resulted in convictions for two Klansmen in the 1963 bombing of a Birmingham church that killed four little girls.

Alabama hasn’t sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 20 years, but Jones says they can’t concede without a fight.

“I think there are enough people in the state who are yearning for new leadership and a change,” Jones said.

— Associated Press reporter Kim Chandler contributed to this report.