United States Senate special election in Alabama (August 15, 2017 Republican primary)

From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 40 min

---

2020 → ← 2016

U.S. Senate Election in Alabama

Coverage

Overview • Timeline September 26 Republican primary runoff August 15 Democratic primary August 15 Republican primary

Quick Facts

First primaries: August 15, 2017 Runoff Election: September 26, 2017 General Election: December 12, 2017 Election Winner: Doug Jones (D) Incumbent: Luther Strange (R)

Race Ratings[1]

Cook Political Report: Toss Up[2] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss Up[3] Rothenberg & Gonzales: Toss Up[4]

2017-2018 Special Elections

A special election for the U.S. Senate seat from Alabama was held in 2017.

The field of nine Republican candidates was narrowed down to two candidates on August 15. See United States Senate special election in Alabama (September 26, 2017 Republican primary runoff) for the next primary election in this series. This page focuses on the August 15 Republican primary. For an overview of the election in general, click here. For an overview of the contest between the seven Democratic candidates, click here.

The U.S. Senate seat in Alabama became vacant when Republican Jeff Sessions left the office on February 8, 2017, in order to serve as United States Attorney General. Luther Strange (R), one of the candidates competing in the 2017 election, was then appointed to fill the seat on an interim basis and is the current incumbent. Republicans have held this seat continuously since 1997 when Howell Heflin (D), who was first elected to office in 1976, retired. National race-rating services are ranking this seat as "safe Republican" prior to the August 15 primary.

The August 15 primary narrowed the field of nine Republicans down to two candidates: Roy Moore and Luther Strange. Moore and Strange will now compete head-to-head on the Republican runoff election on September 26, 2017. That election will further narrow the Republican field down to just one candidate. The Republican winner of that primary will then go to the December 12 general election ballot against Democrat Doug Jones.

What were the big questions for Republican voters heading into August 15?

• Which of the top three Republican candidates will make it through the August 15 primary?
• How do the top three candidates differ from each other in terms of policies, personality, and electability?
• The August 15 primary is being watched very closely by national conservative and Republican PACs, pundits, and grassroots groups: How are these groups showing their preferences in this race, and what lies behind their thinking?

Filing Deadline	Primary Voter Registration Deadline	Absentee ballot postmark deadline	Primary Election	Runoff Election	General Election
May 17, 2017	July 31, 2017	August 14, 2017	August 15, 2017	September 26, 2017	December 12, 2017

Top candidates: Brooks, Moore, and Strange[edit]

The candidates featured below raised at least $300,000 in the first half of 2017 and received 20 percentage points of support or more in a public opinion poll. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Mo Brooks (R)[edit]

A mainstay of Alabama politics, Mo Brooks served as a state representative for nearly a decade and was elected to the U.S. House to represent Alabama's 5th Congressional District in 2010. Announcing his candidacy, Brooks said, "I’m running for the United States Senate because the Senate has been a major barrier to solving America’s greatest challenges. Senate rules are antiquated, resulting in artificial barriers that thwart the majority will of the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as that of the President."^[5]

Brooks identified the national debt, border security, and promoting free enterprise as three policy priorities.^[5]

Brooks had the endorsement of the Alabama Patriots Tea Party, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, to demonstrate his tea party credentials. Campaign ads from the Senate Leadership Fund criticized Brooks for criticizing President Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. Brooks gained national recognition in June 2017 after surviving a shooting at a congressional baseball game practice.

Roy Moore (R)[edit]

Roy Moore was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2012. Moore, who is closely following Strange in public opinion polls, is presented as a champion for socially conservative voters in the state by the media, after being suspended twice from the court for failing to comply with an order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the courthouse building and the holding in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage legal across the country.

Before sitting on the highest court in Alabama, Moore was a judge in Etowah County and practiced law as an attorney. In announcing his candidacy, Moore said, "My position has always been God first, family then country. I share the vision of President Donald Trump to make America great again."^[6] On his campaign website, he identified implementing a flat tax, giving tax credits for employee health care coverage, encouraging coal mining and oil drilling, and eliminating the Common Core as policy priorities.^[7]

He was endorsed by the Alabama Republican Assembly, whose membership is self-described as being "Reagan conservatives, who believe in small government, lower taxes, free market capitalism, a strong defense, the right to life, and a decent America."^[8] He was criticized in a Senate Leadership Fund ad for taking a salary from a charity he and his wife ran while sitting on the state supreme court.^[9]

Luther Strange (R)[edit]

Luther Strange was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley (R) to the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R). He was previously elected as attorney general of Alabama in 2010.

Strange announced his intent to fight for his seat in April 2017, saying, "As I’ve said for months, I’m a candidate and I’m ready to run whether the election is next month or next year. As the only announced candidate for this office, I will spend the next several months being the best Senator I can be, upholding Alabama values and working with President Donald Trump to drain the swamp and help make America great again."^[10] On his campaign website, Strange listed defending religious freedom, supporting the Trump administration's agenda, and repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act as top issues.^[11] His tenure as attorney general of Alabama focused on challenging the Obama administration's healthcare agenda and environmental regulations in court

Strange has the support of national party leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). and the Senate Leadership Fund. Brooks criticized Strange for this relationship, arguing that McConnell was "the head of the swamp" that President Trump came to Washington, D.C., to drain, and that Strange was "the swamp's candidate."^[12]

List of all Republican candidates[edit]

Candidates are listed alphabetically.

Republicans

• James Beretta - Physician
• Joseph Breault - Chaplain
• Randy Brinson - Gastroenterologist
• Mo Brooks - U.S. representative (AL-5)
• Mary Maxwell - Researcher
• Roy Moore - Former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
• Bryan Peeples - Business consultant
• Trip Pittman - State senator (District 32—Montrose)
• Luther Strange - U.S. senator (AL)

Withdrawn

• Dominic Gentile (appeared on the ballot)
• Ed Henry
• Karen H. Jackson

Election results[edit]

U.S. Senate, Alabama Republican primary, August 15, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Roy Moore	38.9%	164,524
	Republican	Luther Strange	32.8%	138,971
	Republican	Mo Brooks	19.7%	83,287
	Republican	Trip Pittman	6.9%	29,124
	Republican	Randy Brinson	0.6%	2,621
	Republican	Bryan Peeples	0.4%	1,579
	Republican	Mary Maxwell	0.4%	1,543
	Republican	James Beretta	0.3%	1,078
	Republican	Dom Gentile	0.1%	303
	Republican	Joseph Breault	0.1%	252
Total Votes				423,282
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

Who was expected to make it through the August 15 primary?[edit]

Polls[edit]

U.S. Senate special election in Alabama, Republican primary
Poll	Roy Moore	Luther Strange	Mo Brooks	Trip Pittman	Randy Brinson	Other	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Trafalgar Group August 12-13, 2017	38%	24%	17%	6%	6%	9%	+/-3.32	870
Emerson College August 10-12, 2017	29%	32%	15%	10%	0%	12%	+/-5	373
Trafalgar Group August 8-10, 2017	35%	23%	20%	6%	4%	12%	+/-2.6	1,439
Cygnal/L2 August 8-9, 2017	31%	23%	18%	7%	2%	19%	+/-4.4	502
FOX10 News/Strategy Research August 7, 2017	35%	29%	19%	9%	1%	7%	+/-2.0	2,000
JMC Analytics August 5-6, 2017	30%	22%	19%	6%	2%	21%	+/-4.4	500
RRH Elections July 31-August 3, 2017	31%	29%	18%	8%	2%	11%	+/-5.0	426
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

U.S. Senate special election in Alabama, Republican primary
Poll	Luther Strange	Roy Moore	Mo Brooks	Other	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Raycom News Network/Strategy Research July 24, 2017	35%	33%	16%	16%	+/-2.0	3,000
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Politico reported on June 29, 2017, that Roy Moore topped the Republican field in an internal Mo Brooks campaign poll with 31 percent support. Luther Strange and Brooks followed with 23 and 21 percent, respectively. No other candidate passed 5 percent support.^[13]

Alabama political consulting firm Cygnal conducted a poll on July 20-21, 2017, finding Strange ahead of the field with 33 percent support, according to Politico. Moore came in second with 26 percent and Brooks third with 16 percent. Cygnal said the poll was not meant for public release.^[14]

Campaign finance[edit]

July Quarterly[edit]

Combined April and July Quarterly Reports for the Republican Primary[15]
Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Luther Strange	$2,524,170	$1,481,488	$1,335,844
Randy Brinson	$180,545	$138,073	$42,471
Mo Brooks	$314,812	$110,247	$1,375,503
Roy Moore	$308,747	$47,407	$261,340
Trip Pittman	$302,545	$31,447	$271,097

April Quarterly[edit]

April Quarterly 2017 Report[16]
Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Mo Brooks	$16,439	$5,314	$1,182,036
Luther Strange	$673,802	$203,352	$763,612

Previous elections[edit]

• Mo Brooks: Brooks won election to the U.S. House of Representatives four times since 2010 by margins ranging from approximately 15 percent to 49 percent. In his last election in 2016, he won with 66.7 percent of the vote, defeating his Democratic rival by 33.5 points. Brooks' district includes roughly one-seventh of the state's population.
• Roy Moore: Moore won election to the state supreme court in 2012 by a margin of 3.5 points.^[17] He also ran for governor twice, placing second in the Republican primary in 2006 with 33.3 percent of the vote and fourth in 2010 with 19.3 percent.^[18][19]
• Luther Strange: Strange won election to the statewide office of attorney general of Alabama twice by a margin of approximately 17 points in 2010 and 2014. In 2006, he unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor of the state, losing to Jim Folsom, Jr. (D) by 1.5 points.

How did the top candidates differ?[edit]

Policies[edit]

Filibuster[edit]

• Mo Brooks (R): "The filibuster rule destroys the basic democratic principal of majority rule and obstructs passage of legislation unless a 60% super-majority of senators agree. While today’s 52 senator Republican majority can abolish the filibuster rule any time it wants, so long as the filibuster rule is in place, Republicans can pass nothing...nothing...without the consent of Chuck Schumer and the Democrats. ... America’s future is at stake. Now is not the time to play procedural games. I agree with President Trump. Senate: end the filibuster!"^[20]

• Luther Strange (R): Strange co-signed a letter with 60 other senators advocating the filibuster in April 2017. "Senators have expressed a variety of opinions about the appropriateness of limiting debate when we are considering judicial and executive branch nominations. Regardless of our past disagreements on that issue, we are united in our determination to preserve the ability of members to engage in extended debate when bills are on the Senate floor," the letter read.^[21]

Medicaid[edit]

• Mo Brooks (R): "Let's be clear about Medicaid. Right now we are taking almost $400 billion a year at the federal government level alone — not counting whatever state matches there are — from hardworking American families. And [we’re] giving it to people for whatever reason have not been able to take care of their own family needs. This money is helping parents who for whatever reason have not successful [sic] taken advantage of the opportunities that America offers for kids who unfortunately are burdened by those parents. I think that's pretty generous of the American taxpayers to have been willing to sacrifice that kind of money to help people who have not been able to take care of themselves. ... [W]e're taking it from our kids and grandkids in the form of borrowed money [and] that's immoral."^[22]

• Luther Strange (R): "My main concern is that we take care of the issues that face us here in Alabama. We have a very thin safety net for our most disadvantaged in our Medicaid program, and I want to make sure we're not further disadvantaged in our relationship to other states. ... Make sure that we're dealing with addressing the most vulnerable among us, particularly children, elderly, and folks that can't afford it. And that we're also doing things that protect taxpayers money so that people who maybe are not as deserving of some of this government largess are not taking money away from those who need it. Because we don't have very much of a margin of error in our state."^[23]

Border security and sanctuary cities[edit]

• Mo Brooks (R): In April 2017, Brooks introduced HR 2186 - EL CHAPO Act, companion legislation to a bill introduced by Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the Senate. The bill would use $14 billion of assets seized from the operations of cartel leader, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, to finance the Trump administration's plan for a border wall. "No nation can exist without borders and the EL CHAPO Act, which would reserve billions in assets forfeited to the US Government by drug kingpins to be used for border security, is a significant step towards funding President Trump’s border wall, thereby restoring America’s control of her borders," Brooks said in a statement.^[24]

• Luther Strange (R): In May 2017, Strange sponsored S 1126 - Securing the Border and Protecting Our Communities Act, a bill seeking to re-allocate federal infrastructure and transportation grants used by sanctuary cities to fund the construction of a border wall.^[25]

Trade[edit]

• Mo Brooks (R): "We need to impose significant tariffs on Chinese imports to offset China’s currency manipulation, to offset the fact that our American industries are competing against a Communist regime, not a private sector company, and to offset the huge competitive advantage China gets."^[26]

• Luther Strange (R): In June 2017, The Montgomery Advertiser reported that Strange wanted to modernize NAFTA, and that he said he supported "bilateral, one-on-one trade deals that ensure that American interests do not get left behind and trading partners are held accountable."^[26]

• Roy Moore (R): Moore said that tariffs and trade restriction could be used to combat trade deficits and supported renegotiating NAFTA and CAFTA. He said in a statement, "In theory, I believe in free trade which has been the historic source of our nation's prosperity; however, because many of our trading partners are ruled by governments that strongly interfere with private enterprise, trade with such governments has been unbalanced."^[26]

Relationship with President Trump[edit]

Mo Brooks[edit]

Before the Super Tuesday primary in 2016, Brooks called Trump a serial adulterer and said he could not support him for that reason. He added, "I think what you’re going to see 12 to 18 months from now is a lot of people who have supported Donald Trump, they’re going to regret having done so, 12 to 18 months, but right now they’re enamored with the personality. They’re enamored with a projection of Donald Trump when they really should be looking at what he’s going to do if he becomes President of the United States. I don’t think you can trust Donald Trump with anything he says."^[27]

Discussing Trump the candidate days before the general election, Brooks said, "You have to decide who is the lesser of the two evils, and then vote accordingly."^[28] In an interview in October 2016, he declined to say whether he would vote for Trump. "Hillary Clinton is worse than Donald Trump, and I’m going to vote for all the Republicans on the ballot,” Brooks said.^[29] Brooks attributed his criticism of Trump to his early support for presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).^[30]

According to a study from FiveThirtyEight, Brooks voted in line with Trump's position 94.6 percent of the time, as of July 24, 2017.^[31]

On July 26, 2017, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) proposed that he and the other eight Republican primary candidates simultaneously withdraw from the race to allow Attorney General Jeff Sessions to become the party's nominee and compete for his old seat in the general election. Brooks' offer came after Trump criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential and not firing Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. "If President Trump wants a new Attorney General, he has that right. That is why today I am making the people of Alabama a 'win-win' promise: a 'win' for President Trump and a 'win' for Jeff Sessions," Brooks said in a statement.^[32][33]

On August 2, 2017, seven of President Trump's Alabama delegates announced their endorsements for Brooks. Among them was Rep. Ed Henry (R-Ala.), the chairman of Trump's state campaign in 2016. "It becomes very apparent to me ... as to who has the best interest of our country in mind and who is trying to make America great again and wants to stand beside Donald Trump," said Henry. "The only individual that has the character to stand on the front line and take a full fight that's required to make this country great again is Mo Brooks."^[34]

After Trump backed Strange on Twitter on August 8, 2017, Brooks questioned the endorsement and said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had misled Trump. He said, "Perhaps President Trump is unaware that Luther Strange wants to keep the Senate's 60 percent rule that empowers Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to kill the entire conservative, Republican, and President Trump legislative agendas. ... In any event, while Mitch McConnell and the Swamp managed to mislead the President last night, I still support the America First Agenda, and all the polls show we have momentum."^[35]

Brooks also asked President Trump to reconsider in a tweet: "I agree completely, Mr. President. McConnell & Strange don't support your agenda. I do. Reconsider endorsement."^[36]

After finishing in third place in the Republican primary on August 15, 2017, Brooks attributed his loss to a robocall from Trump supporting Strange. He wrote, "Over the weekend we caught back up [in the polls]. Then, on Monday and Tuesday, voters started getting a personal robocall from the President urging them to support [Luther Strange]. 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. 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% to 29%RM to 28%LS. An interesting note. 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."^[37]

Roy Moore[edit]

In April 2017, Moore said that Trump's victory was God's will. "God puts people in positions in positions he wants. ... I believe he sent Donald Trump in there to do what Donald Trump can do," he said. Moore said of Trump's agenda, "I support President Trump's agenda of making America great again. But I submit to you that we can only make America great again if we make America good."^[38]

Luther Strange[edit]

Trump endorsed Strange on August 8, 2017. He tweeted, "Senator Luther Strange has done a great job representing the people of the Great State of Alabama. He has my complete and total endorsement!"^[39] Trump also recorded a robocall for Strange that was released the day before the election. "Unemployment is at a record low, jobs are flowing back into the country, we have a great Supreme Court Judge in Justice Gorsuch, we are doing things a lot of people said were impossible, but I need Luther to help us out," Trump said in the recording.^[40]

In an interview on July 9, 2017, Strange suggested his work as attorney general of Alabama was in line with Trump's agenda. “We were doing what Donald Trump wants us to do now. That may have been what persuaded me to accept the appointment because we finally have [a] president [who] wants to shake up Washington," he said.^[41]

Strange described himself as a strong supporter of Trump during a candidate forum on July 8, 2017. "President Trump is the greatest thing that's happened to this country. I consider it a Biblical miracle that he's there," he said.^[42] He was also involved with the group Conservative Lawyers for Trump before the election.^[43]

According to a study from FiveThirtyEight, Strange voted in line with Trump's position 93.5 percent of the time, as of July 24, 2017.^[44]

Relationship with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell[edit]

On August 10, 2017, President Donald Trump indicated his displeasure with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)'s performance. When asked if he believed McConnell should resign, Trump told reporters, "If he doesn't get repeal and replace [of ObamaCare] done, and if he doesn't get taxes done, meaning cuts and reform, and if he doesn't get a very easy one to get done, infrastructure, if he doesn't get them done, then you can ask me that question."^[45] This is how the Republican primary candidates responded to the rift between Trump and McConnell:

• Brooks: Brooks said that Trump's criticism was fair. “Mitch McConnell, if he’s not gonna get the job done, needs to resign so someone else can try to get the job done," he said. Brooks also questioned why Trump would criticize McConnell but endorse McConnell favorite Luther Strange.^[46]
• Moore: In an interview, Moore declined to directly comment on the tension between Trump and McConnell. He said, "I’m not going to say anything good about Mitch McConnell, who’s running the fund that’s attacking me with ads. Now, I won’t do that. But I won’t say anything bad out him ... I won’t judge that. That’s between them."^[46]
• Strange: Strange, who was endorsed by Trump and had the support of the McConnell-backed Senate Leadership Fund, said, "We all need to get back to work. I was part of the group of Republican senators who said we shouldn’t even take a vacation. I don’t know why we’re taking a vacation. We should be working to pass the president’s agenda and deal with the problems we failed to address last time." He added that Trump was "frustrated like I am, and this is no secret."^[46]

On the campaign trail[edit]

On the road[edit]

All three candidates completed meet-and-greets across the state at restaurants and local Republican clubs. When Congress went on recess on August 3, 2017, Brooks engaged in increased direct campaigning by adding stops to his Drain the Swamp Bus Tour. Strange targeted farmers and agricultural groups in his campaign stops, including appearing at an event in Clear Point, Alabama, with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

In addition to attending meet-and-greets and candidate forums, Moore was interviewed on local conservative radio shows. Brooks and Strange also made national television appearances on CNN and Fox News, respectively, in July.

The following lists are a sampling of appearances highlighted on the candidates' social media accounts and campaign websites in the six weeks before the Republican primary.

Brooks[edit]

Moore[edit]

Strange[edit]

Online presence[edit]

The following social media statistics were compiled on August 3, 2017. Although both Brooks and Strange had accounts for their official congressional duties, the numbers below reflect their separate Senate campaign social media presence.

	Facebook			Twitter
Candidate	Followers	Likes	Comments on Last PostThis refers to the number of comments left on the most recent Facebook post when the study was completed.	Followers	Following	Tweets
Brooks	5,867	3,627	173	411	160	47
Moore	54,133	55,591	28	1,709	16	183
Strange	104,564	107,717	14	8,191	1,482	1,344

Tweets by Mo Brooks Tweets by Roy Moore Tweets by Luther Strange

Debates and forums[edit]

Shelby County Republican Party forum[edit]

A Republican candidate forum hosted by the Shelby County Republican Party was held on August 4, 2017. Eight of the nine Republican candidates attended.^[47][48]

Campaign ads[edit]

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Judge Roy Moore responded to the ads launched against each of them by the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a super PAC associated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who backed Luther Strange in the race.

“	In this campaign, both myself and Congressman Brooks have been attacked by scurrilous, false, and deceiving and misleading ads out of Washington, DC, by a super PAC designed to keep people there they want to keep there.[49]	”
—Roy Moore (August 4, 2017)[48]

Moore went on to say, "You shouldn’t be in a race where you just condemn your opponents all the time...I’ll tell you this – I love that woman out there, and it hurts me very badly to see her attacked and see the foundation that we worked so hard for." He was referring to the ad released by the SLF criticizing him and his wife Kayla Moore of taking $1 million from a charity they both ran.^[48]

Brooks said about the ads,

“	The swamp is fighting back in this election, and you can determine for yourself who the swamp’s candidate is, and who they believe will do the bidding of the special interest groups that have undermined America’s interests.[49]	”
—Mo Brooks (August 4, 2017)Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

Trump[edit]

During the forum, Moore spoke of his support for then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election:

“	Last November, America voted for a change in the election of Donald Trump...People signaled that the people of this country, they wanted to go a different direction.[49]	”
—Roy Moore (August 4, 2017)[50]

Strange also voiced his pro-Trump position:

“	I don’t regret my vote for President Trump...I don’t regret that. I’m not confused about that issue at all. That’s very clear.[49]	”
—Luther Strange (August 4, 2017)[50]

Ethics[edit]

Both Moore and Brooks said they were the most principled candidates in the race.

“You shouldn’t be in the race when you just condemn your opponents all the time,” said Moore. “That is unethical.” Shaping his hand into the form of a zero, Brooks said, "In my 30-plus years in my time in public service, I have had this many ethics complaints against me."^[50]

The entire forum can be viewed below:^[51]

Montgomery County Republican Executive Committee forum[edit]

Seven of the race's Republican candidates attended a candidate forum hosted by the Montgomery County Republican Executive Committee on July 8, 2017. The candidates delivered opening remarks, answered questions from attendees, and made closing remarks. Those in attendance were Luther Strange, Mo Brooks, Trip Pittman, Randy Brinson, James Beretta, Bryan Peeples, and Dominic Gentile, who withdrew from the race on July 17, 2017. Because of his withdrawal, his answers have been omitted. Brooks won a straw poll taken during the forum, and Brinson finished second.^[52]

Strange said Alabama needs someone in Washington who will be a strong supporter of the Trump administration. He also called for the immediate repeal of the Affordable Care Act, calling it a disaster. He went on to say that the involvement of the federal government in healthcare has stretched too far beyond providing basic help for the neediest.

“	We're going to take care of the most vulnerable citizens...But remember what this was intended to do, was to take care of disabled individuals and poor women and children. We have now turned it into a massive entitlement, just one example of the problems facing this country.[49]	”
—Luther Strange (2017)[52]

Brooks spoke of a public service record free of ethical questions.

“	In that roughly 30 years of public service I've never had an ethics complaint filed against me with the Alabama Ethics Commission and never had any kind of complaint filed with any federal government oversight agency. So that's something that I offer, it's a track record you can look at to verify that I'll be as candid and honest as I can possibly be with you, and I'll put country and state before personal interest.[49]	”
—Mo Brooks (2017)[52]

Pittman talked about how his campaign had raised $302,000 in the second quarter of the year, with more than 90 percent of the contributors from Alabama.

“	I've raised my money from people in the state of Alabama. That's the people I'm going to represent.[49]	”
—Trip Pittman (2017)[52]

Brinson said he had a strategy to replace the Affordable Care Act, also speaking of what he called valuable international business experience that would be beneficial when it came to trade deals.

“	I'm running because I'm tired of the corruption in Alabama and Washington. All our biblical values and convictions compel us to speak out against corruption, which I've done. I'm tired of our values and our faith being mocked by liberal elites. I'm tired of career politicians who say they're conservative, and then vote like liberals.[49]	”
—Randy Brinson (2017)[52]

Beretta also called for the Affordable Care Act to be repealed, calling it a tax bill rather than a health care one. He said that Alabama needed a leader in Washington on health care, taxes, and education.

“	That's what I'd like you to see in me. Someone who will lead you in those areas. Especially bringing our children forward through better education, better quality of life.[49]	”
—James Beretta (2017)[52]

Peeples pointed out that he was the youngest candidate running in the race.

“	My generation has been marginalized by the decisions that our federal government and our state government has enacted. My generation has been through three economic downturns we are recovering from or are attempting to recover from. The American dream, the foundation on which this country was stabilized on, has been chipped away, over and over again for the last 30 years. It's time that we step up to take the reins of leadership and we start looking towards the future, we start seeing hope, and start looking for the better days that are in front of us.[49]	”
—Bryan Peeples (2017)[52]

Brooks received 50 votes in the straw poll. Brinson received 33, Strange 15, Pittman 14, Moore 11, Gentile 6 and four were undecided, according to AL.com.

Republican Women of Huntsville candidate forum[edit]

A forum featuring Republican candidates Randy Brinson, Mo Brooks, Dominic Gentile, and Roy Moore was hosted by the Republican Women of Huntsville on June 19, 2017.^[53] The candidates discussed partisan politics, healthcare, and immigration. Selected questions from audience submissions were read aloud by the moderator Dale Jackson, WVNN radio talk show host. Luther Strange did not attend due to a previously scheduled commitment.

Note: Since Gentile withdrew from the race on July 17, 2017, his answers have been omitted.

Debate policy highlights[edit]

Immigration[edit]

The candidates were asked whether illegal immigrants with children born in the U.S. should be given a legal status. Click "show" to the right of the candidates' names to view their responses.

Randy Brinson

Brinson referred to the issue as a “vexing problem.” He brought up his efforts from 2014 helping children housed in Texas who had crossed the border to escape from drug cartels and sex trade operations to be relocated to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. "I tried to work out a way where we could move children to Maxwell Air Force Base and get them assigned back to missionaries in Honduras...That was thwarted by our Republican delegation, unfortunately, because they thought we were bringing them to Alabama. We weren't - we were putting them at Maxwell Air Force Base behind a fence until we could get them back to Honduras. "As a result, those kids were picked up by the drug cartels and sex trade in the United States. Now they are living in the United States working for the drug cartels and sex trade. This is the kind of policies we have to change when dealing with children. We have to understand while we need to stop illegal immigration but we have to do it sensibly and create policies with these countries where these children are coming from."

Mo Brooks

"Absolutely not...Folks, if we allow people to come into our country illegally and we tell them they can stay if they have children, then they are going to have children and they are going to stay. That's going to be their reward for breaking our laws. Right now, illegal aliens and families of illegal aliens have a negative tax loss to America tax payers of $99 billion a year. That's what it comes down to. So we cannot reward people by engaging in illegal conduct."

Roy Moore

"I think everyone who is here illegally should be vetted to see if they should stay here...I think those coming across the border are the bigger problem right now. Congress has to address why can't we close our borders. "We have got to support the president's efforts to stop this. If it takes a wall, I say build a wall. It may not take a wall if we use our military, if we use our National Guard. If the states are allowed to stop this illegal immigration, and they should be like in Arizona, we could stop illegal immigration and we should and there's no question about it."

Partisan politics[edit]

The candidates were most unified in their discussion of what the question phrased as "inflammatory rhetoric" that led to the shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice.

Randy Brinson

"The discourse in our political debate has been very debased...We do have a lot of divisions; we do have a lot of debate. But here's some truth: All of the Christians here in the audience I want to remember one thing - it's that we have to be able to understand that some of these people we disagree with are lost. We need to be able to share the gospel with them so they can change their hearts and they can understand where we're coming from. "Congressman Brooks is right. We're being divided by these categories of ethnicity and sex and such as this so that if you're a policeman coming to places in Alabama and you're not the right color or not the right sex or the right this, they won't hire you. If you're going to medical school and you're not the right sex, et cetera, now they are having set asides for LGBT people for positions in medical school where people are competing to be your next doctor. This is what divides people. This is not right. It should all be on meritocracy."

Mo Brooks

"The Democrats have engaged in a type of rhetoric that divides us as a people...They divide us based on skin color, they divide us based on chromosomes, they divide us based on ethnicity. And they do so because that is their fall back when they lose public policy debates on significant issues. I think the key is for us to come together as a people, debate vigorously but keep it to a public policy level. Don't divide us over a myriad of things over which we have no control like skin pigmentation, like ethnicity, like sex."

Roy Moore
"I don't think there's a way to stop it [inflammatory rhetoric] because that's what they're using...The problem is Republicans don't know how to handle it. And they back off...they don't want to offend anybody. We've got to get past that. We can't back off our principles."

Healthcare[edit]

Randy Brinson
"We do need to create competition across state lines...We've also got to bend the curve on spending. What you guys don't realize is part of the problem is overutilization by hospitals and physicians using too many admissions, too much utilization to drive up the costs. We've got to bend the curve on that."

Mo Brooks
"The judge is right [referring to Moore's comment below]. We've got to repeal the son of a gun."

Roy Moore
Moore called for the repealing of the Affordable Health Care Act, and in doing so also called for health care competition among the states. He concluded his response by stating, "Obama doesn't care."

Who weighed in on this race, and what did they say?[edit]

Independent spending[edit]

As of August 15, 2017, 13 organizations had collectively spent more than $5.1 million on the race. Approximately 83 percent of that spending came from the Senate Leadership Fund to back incumbent Sen. Luther Strange.^[54] By comparison, four organizations spent less than $530,000 on the Senate race in the state in 2016.^[55]

• America First Action, Inc. spent $155,000 on digital advertising to support Strange.

• The Conservative Majority Political Action Committee spent more than $30,000 on direct mail fundraisers to support Moore. The PAC described its purpose on its website as identifying and supporting candidates "with the moral courage to assert and defend our God-given rights "and "return this nation to its virtuous foundational core."^[56]

• Madison Project, Inc. spent $68,000 on advertising to oppose Strange.

• The National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $200,000 on media placement and production to support Strange.

• The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund endorsed Strange, saying in a statement, "Strange’s leadership on Second Amendment issues as a US senator and Alabama Attorney General has earned him the highest attainable rating, an 'A+' from the NRA-PVF in the Aug. 15 Republican special primary election. An 'A+' is reserved for a legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment."^[57] It spent over $80,000 on a print campaign and $43,000 on a radio ad campaign for Strange.

• Our Future in America, Inc. spent $26,000 on online advertising to support Moore.

• Patriots for Economic Freedom, a PAC "dedicated to lower taxes, less government spending and more freedom," according to its website, spent $14,000 to support Moore.^[58]

• Public Advocate of the United States spent more than $6,000 on digital listings and services to support Moore's campaign.

• The Senate Conservatives Fund spent $45,000 on email marketing and donation processing to support Brooks.

• Politico reported on July 31, 2017, that the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) would spend up to $8 million to back Strange.^[59]
  • On May 8, 2017, the SLF announced that it had reserved $2.6 million for advertisements to support Strange in the special election slated to appear between July 11 and August 15, 2017.
  • According to Chris Pack, the organization's spokesperson, the spending was the first in a series of intended purchases. Pack said, "A lot of people in glass houses are throwing stones in Alabama, and they will quickly realize that this won't be going unanswered. This $2.65 million buy is just an initial down payment on Senate Leadership Fund's commitment to supporting Senator Strange."^[60]
  • The SLF released two ads on July 12, 2017, criticizing Mo Brooks for not supporting President Donald Trump and comparing him to high-profile Democratic figures like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

• Solution Fund spent approximately $45,000 on digital advertising and automated calls to support Moore.

• The Swamp Drainers Foundation, a PAC founded in June 2017, spent $85,000 on media production and advertising to oppose Strange.

• The Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund spent approximately $13,000 on robocalls to support Brooks.

On June 28, 2017, the Republican National Committee also approved $350,000 to be spent on the Alabama Senate race. Politico reported that these funds were expected to boost Strange's campaign.^[61]

Endorsements[edit]

The table below summarizes the endorsements Ballotpedia identified for the leading Republican candidates through August 15, 2017.

Most recent endorsement: James Dobson, prominent evangelical leader, endorsed Roy Moore on August 10.

Republican candidate endorsements
Endorsement	Brooks	Moore	Strange
Federal officials
President Donald Trump (R)[62]
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus[63]
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.)[64]
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)[65]
National figures
Ann Coulter, conservative commentator[66]
James Dobson, evangelical leader[67]
Sean Hannity, Fox News host[64]
Fob James, former Governor of Alabama[68]
Perry O. Hooper Jr., co-chair of Trump campaign in Alabama[69]
Mark Levin, conservative radio host[70]
Chuck Norris[71]
Phil Robertson, founder of Duck Commander[72]
Seven Alabama delegates for Donald Trump, incl. Rep. Ed Henry (R-Ala.), chairman of Trump's state campaign[73]
Tim James, former opponent to Moore[68]
Organizations
Alabama Credit Union Association[74]
Alabama Farmers Federation[75]
Alabama Patriots Tea Party[76]
Alabama Republican Assembly[77]
National Rifle Association[78]
National Right To Life[79]
Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund[80]
Women Vote Trump[81]
PACs
Courageous Conservatives PAC[82]
Senate Conservatives Fund[83]
Senate Leadership Fund[84]

Campaign ads[edit]

Mo Brooks[edit]

Support[edit]

"Build the Wall" - Brooks campaign ad, released July 10, 2017

"Second Amendment" - Brooks campaign ad, released July 24, 2017

"Support Trump" - Brooks campaign ad, released August 1, 2017

"Lap Dog" - Brooks campaign ad, released August 8, 2017

"To the President" - Brooks campaign ad, released August 11, 2017

Oppose[edit]

"Trust AL" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released July 12, 2017

"Mo Brooks Bragged About Attacking Trump" - Strange campaign ad, released August 7, 2017

Roy Moore[edit]

Support[edit]

"Born to Fight" - Moore campaign ad, released June 3, 2017

"Conservative: Alabama Over Washington" - Moore campaign ad, released July 25, 2017

"Defeat the Deceivers" - Moore campaign ad, released August 8, 2017

Oppose[edit]

"Fund" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released August 2, 2017

"Again" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released August 2, 2017

Luther Strange[edit]

Support[edit]

"Shooting Range" - Strange campaign ad, released May 30, 2017

"Wall" - Strange campaign ad, released June 27, 2017

"Diner" - Strange/National Republican Senatorial Committee ad, released July 11, 2017

"Drain the Swamp" - Strange campaign ad, released July 31, 2017

Oppose[edit]

"It's a Deal" - Swamp Drainers PAC ad, released July 17, 2017

Media coverage[edit]

Coverage of the Alabama Senate special election focused primarily on the competitive Republican primary; the last Democratic senator from Alabama left office two decades ago. Issues frequently mentioned in both local and national coverage included the nature of Strange's relationship to former Gov. Bentley and whether Strange or Brooks, both sitting members of Congress, could challenge the appeal of outsider candidate Roy Moore. Moore received increased attention following an internal poll from the Brooks campaign that showed him ahead of the Republican field by nine points. The following types of coverage are featured in this section:

• Party politics: Articles discussing internal Democratic or Republican Party politics, including how the Bentley resignation could impact the election.
• The candidates: Articles discussing the qualities and background of each candidate.
• The Trump effect: Articles discussing how President Donald Trump and his policy agenda could help or harm each candidate.
• Flipping the seat: Articles discussing Democratic strategy in the race.

Party politics[edit]

• Alex Isenstadt, Politico (July 31, 2017):

"And in a highly unusual step, one of McConnell’s top political lieutenants has begun quietly advising a long-shot Republican primary candidate running for Brooks’ House seat. The move is designed to get in the congressman’s head and dissuade him from emptying his campaign war chest in the race for Attorney General Jeff Sessions' old Senate seat."^[59]

• David W. Drucker, Washington Examiner (July 17, 2017), on Clayton Hinchman running for Brooks' House seat:

"His entrance into the contest could up the pressure on Brooks, who is under attack from the Senate Leadership Fund, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's super PAC. ... Alabama Republicans revere President Trump, and Brooks is dodging grenades from SLF and other Strange allies for being slow to come around to Trump in 2016 after initially endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. ... Hinchman's candidacy ups the pressure on Brooks who has a formidable war chest but might not have a resources advantage over Hinchman if he blows his campaign cash on the Senate race and loses."^[85]

• Daniel Horowitz, Conservative Review (July 3, 2017):

"Aside from showing Roy Moore with a commanding lead, [an internal Brooks campaign] poll shows that Luther Strange is in danger of losing his spot in the Sept. 26 runoff if Brooks inches past him in the first round. Such a result would be a spectacular outcome for conservatives, given that both Moore and Brooks are loved by the GOP base. The latest polling also shows that the big-dollar ads placed by the Strange campaign have not helped his standing. In May, Strange bought air time for 100-second spots with deceptive captions and fake headlines. Clearly, the voters have not forgotten his dubious relationship with disgraced former Governor Robert Bentley. It is also possible that his strong support from the GOP establishment — the same establishment that has now made peace with Obamacare — is hurting, not helping, Strange."^[86]

• John King, CNN (July 2, 2017):

"The Republican establishment in at or near panic mode about the upcoming Alabama Senate race. There is a primary August 15 and the establishment favorite—Sen. Luther Strange—is trailing. There is little fear among Republicans that Democrats could win the seat. But Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is among the establishment figures alarmed that former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is ahead in polls. Moore drew national attention for recommending that Alabama judges ignore the Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage."^[87]

• Greg Garrison, AL.com (June 9, 2017):

"Now, as he campaigns to keep the seat he was appointed to in the U.S. Senate, Luther Strange is also known for the long shadow that follows him around. His opponents openly question why Strange, as Alabama's attorney general, would accept an appointment from Gov. Robert Bentley, who was under investigation by Strange's office. It had the appearance of a shady deal, his critics and some primary opponents say."^[88]

• Jim Newell, Slate (May 15, 2017):

"Treating Luther Strange as just another incumbent who has [the National Republican Senatorial Committee's] full backing, rather than a placeholder for an open seat, is generous of them. Strange was appointed to the job only a few months ago. The man who appointed him, Gov. Robert Bentley, has since resigned upon being indicted for his cover-up of a sex scandal. Strange’s own role in the Bentley saga—as the state attorney general who was angling for a Senate appointment and perhaps didn’t want to press too hard on the governor who would appoint him—has itself come under scrutiny. It’s true that he is an incumbent senator, but Strange has yet to go through the voters. ... Two recently announced candidates are the exact sort of figures that McConnell wouldn’t want to join him in the United States Senate. Accordingly, they also don’t really care about the threats that his apparatus makes."^[89]

The candidates[edit]

• Seung Min Kim, Politico (August 14, 2017):

"Roy Moore lacks the war chest of two chief rivals in his bid to become the next senator from Alabama. He didn't land the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump, and doesn’t enjoy the advantages of incumbency. Yet the controversial former state Supreme Court justice is coasting over his Republican challengers in Tuesday’s closely watched GOP Senate primary. Moore is set to easily secure a place in a September runoff, as the establishment-backed Sen. Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks scrap for the second spot. Should Moore become the GOP nominee and the next senator from Alabama, his bombastic personality and antipathy toward Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are sure to make more trouble for the GOP leader, who's taking constant flak from Trump as it is. McConnell and his allies are spending millions to elect Strange, and in response, Moore has made McConnell the symbol of everything he opposes in Washington. 'I resent people from Washington, raising money in Washington, and sending negative ads to Alabama and trying to control the vote of the people,' Moore said in an interview after a GOP executive committee meeting here. 'If the Washington crowd wants somebody, the people of Alabama generally don’t.'"^[90]

• John Sharp, AL.com (July 9, 2017):

"When U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks announced he was running for the Senate on May 15, he acknowledged that one of his challenges would be name recognition outside the Tennessee Valley area where he calls home. But then there was the shooting on June 14. An enraged fanatic fired upon Brooks and other congressional Republicans while they practiced for a charity baseball game outside Washington, D.C. Brooks was thrust into the chaos of the moment, and the national spotlight. He was interviewed by multiple media outlets in the shooting's immediate aftermath. Pictures of a distraught and emotional Brooks were published nationally. He was spoken about in rather heroic terms for providing his belt as a tourniquet to help one of the injured. ... Politics wasn't discussed in the days after the shooting. But Alabama political observers note that the shooting has become the Senate race's "October surprise" moment, where a national news issue wedges itself into a political campaign."^[91]

• Decision Desk HQ (June 27, 2017):

"Luther Strange carries some baggage, from his association with Bentley, though is otherwise a mainstream Alabama conservative. However, the field for Republican primary has gotten crowded, which has prompted national Republicans to run ads for the incumbent. Fortunately for Strange, the anti-establishment vote should be fractured. Rep. Mo Brooks (R), who represents the Huntsville-area AL-05, is running. Known for his tough line on immigration, Brooks is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. The other high profile candidate in this race is ex-State Supreme Court Roy Moore (R). He is famous for losing his judgeship after refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom. Moore is the most controversial candidate here, though has a strong following with social conservatives and thus shouldn’t be underestimated. There are number of other lower-tier candidates, but one of the Strange/Brooks/Moore trio will almost certainly get the nod."^[92]

• Anson Knowles, Alabama-based Libertarian radio host (June 14, 2017):

"Luther Strange has the misfortune of having been placed in the U.S. Senate by a now defunct former Governor Robert Bentley. Bentley set the election date, some say illegally, to coincide with the 2018 General Election. When Governor Kay Ivey came into power she changed the election dates to follow the Alabama Constitution’s requirements. Luther Strange was the Alabama Attorney General before being appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy created by Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ ascendance to his executive branch post. Luther Strange is also infamous in Alabama for using his power to slow down the impeachment of former Governor Robert Bentley in the Alabama House last year."^[93]

"Roy Moore is also an interesting political animal. He has the distinct honor of being removed from the office of the Chief Justice twice. Roy Moore is also on the top of the polls within the Republican field to win the Special Election. Only in Alabama can someone who has been forcibly removed from public office twice gain credibility among voters. Roy Moore was first removed as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court because he refused to follow a Federal Order requiring him to remove a 10 Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building. More recently, Roy Moore was elected as Chief Justice again only to be placed on permanent leave shortly into the term for writing an order directing Probate Judges in the state to disregard the US Supreme Court’s ruling allowing gay marriage. Roy Moore has thus been rewarded with the loyalty of the most socially conservative voters in the state."^[93]

"Congressman Mo Brooks stands out among the top tier candidates because of his strong ideological positions on issues which matter to the socially and fiscally conservative constituents in his district. Mo Brooks is a fierce competitor known to be frugal."^[93]

• Anna Claire Vollers, AL.com (June 9, 2017):

"Brooks is best known outside Alabama for speaking his mind in a way that has made him a favorite of conservative talk radio and cable TV news. Talking points that his supporters call politically incorrect, his detractors call deliberately inflammatory and, memorably, 'idiotic.' Brooks prefers to call it hyperbole. 'I often use hyperbole to get the media to focus on my subject matter," he said. "But quite frankly, compared to Donald Trump, I look like a babe in the woods.'"^[94]

• Amy Yurkanin, AL.com (June 9, 2017):

"Moore leads the Republican field in name recognition. For two decades, he has waged a high-profile campaign against the federal courts—twice defying orders from U.S. judges. His actions have turned him into a polarizing figure, admired by some as a righteous defender of Constitutional and Christian principles and condemned by others as a dogmatic lawbreaker who doesn't recognize federal authority. Moore calls himself a 'statesman.' Many of his supporters treat him like a celebrity—posing for pictures and asking for autographs."^[95]

The Trump effect[edit]

• Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News (July 17, 2017):

"Incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill the seat temporarily in February, called Trump’s election a 'Biblical miracle.' Roy Moore, the twice-elected, twice-deposed Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, said, 'God…sent Donald Trump in there.' And Rep. Mo Brooks, a Tea Party favorite, has vowed to read the King James Bible on the Senate floor until the president's border wall gets built. 'You would think every candidate were his best friend, based on how they are talking about the president,' said Montgomery-based Republican pollster Brent Buchanan. 'And every time the media talks about Donald Trump and Russia, Republican voters become stronger Trump supporters.' ... The tenor of the campaign has led even some Republicans to chafe that the contest has turned into caricature of Southern conservatives interested only in 'God, guns, and Trump' as Quin Hillyer, a longtime conservative commentator based in Mobile, put it."^[96]

• Matthew Boyle, Breitbart (July 12, 2017):

"The Yellowhammer state’s political summer is getting hotter as Luther Strange, an establishment-backed candidate for the U.S. Senate, is falsely smearing his opponent Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) as anti-Trump. Interestingly, 'Never Trump' operatives have descended on the race around Strange bashing Brooks—acting like they supported Trump all the time when they did not—and Strange is refusing to provide any evidence he actually supported Trump. Meanwhile, Brooks is emerging as the strongest defender of Trump and his agenda—and even Trump campaign operatives from Alabama have confirmed that on record to Breitbart News."^[97]

• Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, The New York Times (July 9, 2017):

"But under closer examination, the contest may boil down to a single question: How will President Trump respond to the candidate who denounced him for 'serial adultery'? ... The Republican race has pitted the current, appointed senator, Luther Strange, against Representative Mo Brooks, a conservative firebrand whose brash, anti-immigrant, pro-gun politics are distinctly Trumpian — save that 'serial adultery' jab. That has created tensions between Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader who strongly backs Mr. Strange, and the West Wing, where some sympathies lie with Mr. Brooks. What Mr. Trump does will beam a message to his supporters well beyond Alabama about which Republican faction he favors: the pragmatic establishment or uncompromising hard-liners. And in Alabama, Mr. Trump’s preference matters. He may be saddled with national disapproval ratings that no modern president has seen this early in an administration, but among Alabama conservatives, the president ranks up there with college football, air-conditioning and pork shoulder."^[98]

• Ben Kamisar, The Hill (June 28, 2017):

"Brooks declared during last year’s GOP presidential primary that he could not trust a 'serial adulterer' like Trump, then offered Trump only lukewarm support in the general election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Alabama Republicans have in the past punished GOP lawmakers perceived as anti-Trump at the ballot box. With Brooks looking to defeat Sen. Luther Strange R-Ala.) and serve out Sessions’s entire term, he could be forced to account for his previous criticism of Trump."^[99]

• Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner (June 20, 2017):

"Luther Strange — the former state attorney general who was appointed to the seat — has six 'issue' pages on his campaign website, including immigration and Obamacare repeal. One issue page is titled Supporting President Trump' and another 'Draining the Swamp.' Brooks has also has a 'Drain the Swamp' tab on his home page. He writes, 'President Trump was right when he called Washington, D.C. a swamp. Big-moneyed lobbyists and special interest groups peddle influence with corrupt elected officials. ... As your next Senator, I will fight to 'Drain the Swamp' by standing up to the corruption and powerful special interests who bribe, bully, and threaten elected officials into doing their bidding.' Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, known as the 'Ten Commandments judge,' is another leading candidate using President Trump as a campaign tool, though in a different manner. Moore is pitching himself as an even more out-of-the-box politician than Trump: 'Imagine a candidate for the U.S. Senate who is more anti-establishment than Trump and has been proving it for more than 20 years as a judge and even chief justice of his state's Supreme Court,' Moore writes on Facebook. 'You don't have to imagine such a scenario, because it's true,' he says, referring to himself."^[100]

Flipping the seat[edit]

• John Sharp, AL.com (June 30, 2017):

"Eight Democrats running for Alabama's Senate seat believe the Republican alternatives to 'repeal and replace' of the Affordable Care Act could cause thousands of state residents to lose their health coverage. And they believe the GOP's plans, unpopular in national polling, will give their party a political opportunity to make a contest out of an election few pundits expect them to have any chance at winning. Alabama hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than a decade. Alabama Republican leaders, however, believe voters in this deep red state will reject Democratic attempts to push back against the GOP's reform efforts on Obamacare."^[101]

Timeline[edit]

The timeline below summarizes the ten most recent noteworthy events in this election. For the complete list, please visit: Timeline of United States Senate special election in Alabama, 2017.

State overview[edit]

Alabama has been represented by a Republican continuously since 1994 when Richard Shelby, who was elected to office in 1986 as a Democrat, changed his partisan affiliation. The last elected official to hold the seat was Jeff Sessions (R), who vacated the office after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as attorney general on February 8, 2017. Luther Strange was appointed to fill the vacancy.

Demographics[edit]

In 2016, the district had a population of approximately 4,860,000 people, with its three most populous cities being Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile.^[102][103]

The state has a median household income of $43,623, which is roughly 20 percent lower than the national average: $53,889. It also has a greater rate of individuals in poverty compared to the national average: 18.5 percent to 13.5 percent.^[102]

State history[edit]

2016[edit]

See also: United States Senate election in Alabama, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Alabama's U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent Richard Shelby (R) defeated Democratic challenger Ron Crumpton in the 2016 general election. Shelby defeated John Martin, Shadrack McGill, Jonathan McConnell and Marcus Bowman in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016. Crumpton defeated Charles Nana in the primary race for the Democratic nomination on the same date.^{[104][105][106]}

U.S. Senate, Alabama General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Richard Shelby Incumbent	64%	1,335,104
	Democratic	Ron Crumpton	35.9%	748,709
	N/A	Write-in	0.2%	3,631
Total Votes				2,087,444
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Alabama Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Richard Shelby Incumbent	64.9%	505,586
Jonathan McConnell	27.6%	214,770
John Martin	3%	23,558
Marcus Bowman	2.5%	19,707
Shadrack McGill	2%	15,230
Total Votes		778,851
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Alabama Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ron Crumpton	56.1%	153,897
Charles Nana	43.9%	120,526
Total Votes		274,423
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

2014[edit]

See also: United States Senate elections in Alabama, 2014

On November 4, 2014, Jeff Sessions won re-election to the United States Senate. He ran completely unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

U.S. Senate, Alabama General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jeff Sessions Incumbent	97.3%	795,606
	N/A	Write-in	2.7%	22,484
Total Votes				818,090
Source: Alabama Secretary of State

See also[edit]

• Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)
• United States Senate
• Jeff Sessions

External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]