{"id":91798,"date":"2017-09-19T09:31:22","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T09:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/strange-moore-head-to-alabama-senate-runoff-election-who-are-they.html"},"modified":"2017-09-19T09:31:22","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T09:31:22","slug":"strange-moore-head-to-alabama-senate-runoff-election-who-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/strange-moore-head-to-alabama-senate-runoff-election-who-are-they.html","title":{"rendered":"Strange, Moore head to Alabama Senate runoff election: Who are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t
\n\t \"President<\/a><\/p>\n

Alabama Senate race tests reach of Trump, McConnell<\/a><\/h4>\n

President and Senate leader endorse Luther Strange in tight Republican primary to fill Sessions’ seat; analysis on ‘America’s Newsroom’<\/p>\n

The two Republican Alabama Senate candidates are just one week away from a primary election \u2013 in what is one of the first tests of President Donald Trump\u2019s influence.<\/p>\n

Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to finish out Jeff Sessions\u2019 term when he was tapped as the U.S. attorney general, faces former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in a runoff.<\/p>\n

Despite having Trump\u2019s support, being buoyed by millions of dollars in advertising by a super political action committee tied to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Moore\u2019s past controversies, Strange was unable to avoid a runoff during a primary last month.<\/p>\n

State law calls for a runoff if candidates are unable to get more than 50 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n

Doug Jones, a former federal prosecutor, won the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0runoff is scheduled for<\/a>\u00a0Sept. 26 with the special general election slated for Dec. 12. Here\u2019s a look at the candidates.<\/p>\n

Roy Moore<\/b><\/p>\n

Called the \u201cAyatollah of Alabama\u201d by critics who believe he too closely marries his political and judicial responsibilities with religion, Judge Roy Moore emerged as one of two Republicans headed to a runoff next month \u2013 and he was at the head of the pack.<\/p>\n

Moore was twice removed from Alabama\u2019s Supreme Court. He was removed from the bench the first time, in 2003, after he disobeyed a federal judge\u2019s order to remove a boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument from the statehouse; he was permanently suspended last year after he told probate judges they remained under a state court order to deny marriage licenses to gay couples.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Former<\/p>\n

Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks to supporters Tuesday in Montgomery, Ala<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)<\/span><\/p>\n

Moore used those controversies to boost his support among conservative evangelicals while campaigning, and he told Republican voters that those cases were akin to battle scars for standing up for what he believes. On his\u00a0campaign website<\/a>, Moore said he was suspended for \u201cupholding the sanctity of marriage as between one man and one woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

TRUMP BACKS LUTHER STRANGE<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

More than 50 pastors\u00a0signed on to a letter<\/a>\u00a0endorsing Moore.<\/p>\n

“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 last month, with a copy of the Ten Commandments among the decorations.<\/p>\n

Moore,\u00a0who rode a horse to the polls to vote<\/a>, advocated for using the military to protect the country\u2019s southern border, immediately repealing ObamaCare and making homosexuality against military policy on his campaign website.<\/p>\n

He also is opposed to abortion, federal funding to Planned Parenthood, same-sex marriage, civil unions and \u201call other threats to the traditional family order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Infamous \u201cWalker, Texas Ranger\u201d star\u00a0Chuck Norris endorsed Moore<\/a>\u00a0for the Senate and said he is the \u201creal deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Washington establishment knows they won\u2019t be able to count on him, but Alabama voters can,\u201d Norris said. \u201cJudge Moore has never backed down from standing for what is right, and that\u2019s exactly what he\u2019ll do in the U.S Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Senate Leadership Fund worked to discredit Moore and ran negative ads about the judge.<\/p>\n

Luther Strange<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite being backed by GOP senators and Trump, Luther Strange failed to avoid a runoff and came in second to Judge Roy Moore.<\/p>\n

Trump announced on Twitter that he will be in Huntsville, Ala., on Saturday to support Strange \u2013 sometimes called \u201cBig Luther\u201d because of his 6-foot-9-inch frame.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Big Luther\u2019 is a great guy who gets things done,\u201d Trump tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

I will be in Huntsville, Alabama, on Saturday night to support Luther Strange for Senate. “Big Luther” is a great guy who gets things done!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Strange, who was tapped by Alabama\u2019s governor to finish out Sessions\u2019 term, was the state\u2019s attorney general and had joined a lawsuit against the Obama administration that challenged the former president\u2019s executive order on amnesty for undocumented immigrants.<\/p>\n

TRUMP-SESSIONS FEUD JOLTS ALABAMA PRIMARY<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sen.<\/p>\n

Sen. Luther Strange speaks to the media after forcing a runoff with former Chief Justice Roy Moore. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Butch Dill)<\/span><\/p>\n

Strange supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and calls for immediate deportation of criminal illegal immigrants and the construction of a border wall,\u00a0according to his campaign website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aside from the president, Strange\u00a0also racked up endorsements<\/a>\u00a0from the National Rifle Association of America, National Right to Life and the Alabama Farmers Federation.<\/p>\n

Although a favorite of the establishment, Strange\u2019s struggles raised concerns among GOP members of Congress, even if he does ultimately survive the runoff election next month.<\/p>\n

“There are probably a number of incumbents on both sides of the aisle who should take notice of another demonstration that voters still want change,” Greg Strimple, a Republican pollster for a political action committee aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan,\u00a0told the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The takeaway is that Washington is very unpopular,” Strimple said, and that overrides even Trump’s endorsement, because he cannot simply “transfer his brand” to candidates, like the lobbyist-turned-politician Strange, who fail to establish their own outsider credentials.<\/p>\n

Doug Jones<\/b><\/p>\n

A former U.S. attorney during the Clinton administration, Jones beat out seven other Democrats to secure the party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n

Jones has been openly critical of Trump \u2013 particularly when it comes to Trump\u2019s wish to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate change agreement \u2013 and picked up key endorsements from liberal lawmakers.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"FILE<\/p>\n

Senate candidate Doug Jones chats with constituents before a forum in Decatur, Ala. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0(AP Photo\/Jeronimo Nisa)<\/span><\/p>\n

MOORE\u2019S POPULARITY SHAKES GOP ESTABLISHMEN<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Former Vice President Joe Biden\u00a0endorsed Jones in the primary\u00a0and loaned his voice to robocalls made to voters.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoug Jones will make a great U.S. senator so please make sure you get out and vote on Tuesday \u2013\u00a0and I\u2019m hoping you\u2019ll vote for my friend, Doug Jones,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n

Jones was also endorsed by Reps.\u00a0John Lewis<\/a>, D-Ga.,\u00a0Cedric Richmond<\/a>, D-La., and\u00a0Terri Sewell<\/a>, D-Ala.<\/p>\n

While a Republican candidate is widely expected to win the seat, Alabama Democrats are\u00a0reportedly feeling optimistic<\/a>\u00a0about their candidate.<\/p>\n

Jones is perhaps best known for successfully prosecuting two members of the Ku Klux Klan accused of bombing a Birmingham church in 1963 that killed four little girls.<\/p>\n

His\u00a0campaign website<\/a>\u00a0touts his progressive ideals and plans for health care reform and protecting Planned Parenthood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shenanigans around the 2016 campaign must be pushed aside and full equality for women made the law and the norm in America,\u201d Jones said on his website.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n

Article source: http:\/\/feeds.foxnews.com\/~r\/foxnews\/politics\/~3\/-eK_RPpbLu4\/strange-moore-head-to-alabama-senate-runoff-election-who-are.html<\/a>\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alabama Senate race tests reach of Trump, McConnell President and Senate leader endorse Luther Strange in tight Republican primary to fill Sessions’ seat; analysis on ‘America’s Newsroom’ The two Republican Alabama Senate candidates are just one week away from a primary election \u2013 in what is one of the first tests of President Donald Trump\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-91798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-political","tag-political"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91798\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}