2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama

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Turnout	40.5%[1]
Nominee Doug Jones Roy Moore Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 673,896 651,972 Percentage 49.97% 48.34%
County results Congressional district results Precinct results 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
U.S. senator before election Luther Strange[a] Republican Elected U.S. Senator Doug Jones Democratic

The2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama took place on December 12, 2017, in order to fill the Class II Senate seat for the remainder of the six year term. A vacancy arose after incumbentRepublican SenatorJeff Sessions resigned from the Senate on February 8, 2017 to serve as the 84thU.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017, GovernorRobert J. Bentley appointedLuther Strange, theattorney general of Alabama, to fill the vacancy until aspecial election could take place. The special election was scheduled for December 12, 2017.^[2]

Doug Jones, a formerU.S. attorney for theNorthern District of Alabama, won the Democraticprimary election.Roy Moore, a formerchief justice of theSupreme Court of Alabama, competed with Strange and U.S. RepresentativeMo Brooks in the August 15, 2017, Republican primary; the two highest vote-getters, Moore and Strange, advanced to a runoff.^[3] PresidentDonald 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 overwhelmingsupport for Republicans. The race was upended in mid-November 2017, whenmultiple women alleged that Moore had made unwanted advances orsexually assaulted them when he was in his early thirties and they were aged between 14 and 22, 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many national Republican leaders and office holders called for Moore to withdraw from the special election, rescinded theirendorsements of him, and stopped funding his campaign.^[10][11][12] Trump and many Alabama Republicans reaffirmed their support.^[13] At the time of the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 sinceHowell Heflin left office in 1997.^[16] This was the first time Democrats had won a statewide election in Alabama since 2008, whenLucy Baxley was elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

Following then-President-electDonald Trump's nomination of then-Senator Sessions to beU.S. attorney general,Robert Aderholt, a member of theUnited States House of Representatives, had asked to be appointed to the seat.^[17] RepresentativeMo 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, thepresident pro tempore of theAlabama Senate; and Jim Byard, the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.^[20]

A vacancy arose from SenatorJeff Sessions' February 8, 2017 resignation to serve as the 84th U.S. attorney general. On February 9, 2017,GovernorRobert J. Bentley appointed State Attorney GeneralLuther Strange to fill the vacancy until aspecial election could take place. Bentley controversially scheduled the special election to occur in2018 instead of sooner.^[21][22] WhenKay 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 SenatorLuther Strange. Strange was backed by several key figures within the Republican establishment, most notablyMitch McConnell, theSenate Majority Leader. His two main rivals in the primary were former state judgeRoy 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]

• Roy Moore, former chief justice of theAlabama Supreme Court and candidate for governor in2006 and2010^[24]

• Luther Strange, incumbent U.S. senator (appointed) and formerattorney general of Alabama^[25]

• James Beretta, physician^[26]
• Joseph F. Breault,Air Force chaplain and nominee for theUtah House of Representatives in2016^[26][27]
• Randy Brinson,gastroenterologist and activist^[28]
• Mo Brooks, U.S. representative^[29]
• Dom Gentile, businessman^[30][31]
• Karen Jackson, attorney andperennial candidate^[26][32]
• Mary Maxwell, candidate forNH-02 in2006^[33][34]
• Bryan Peeples, businessman^[35]
• Trip Pittman, state senator^[36]

• Ed Henry, state representative^[37][38] (withdrew from race on May 17).

PresidentDonald Trump supported Strange during the primary runoff, in addition to much of the Republican establishment in the Senate, including Senate Majority LeaderMitch 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 inHuntsville, Alabama.^[116] Vice PresidentMike 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 inHuntsville 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 SecretaryBen Carson and Breitbart Executive ChairmanSteve 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 sinceArlen Specter lost toJoe Sestak in2010.^[121]

• Doug Jones, formerUnited States attorney for theNorthern District of Alabama^[141]

• Will Boyd, pastor, formerGreenville, Illinois, city councilman, nominee forAL-05 in2016 andwrite-in candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois in2010^[142]
• Vann Caldwell,Talladega Countyconstable and perennial candidate^[26]
• Jason Fisher, businessman^[143]
• Michael Hansen, activist and nonprofit executive^[144]
• Robert Kennedy Jr., digital marketing executive for a laboratory supply company (no relation to theMassachusettsKennedy family)^{[145][146][147]}
• Charles Nana, candidate for the U.S. Senate in2016^[26]

• Ron Crumpton, activist, nominee for the state senate in 2014 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in2016^[148][52]
• Brian McGee, retired teacher and Vietnam War veteran^{[26][149][150]}

• Roger Bedford, former state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in1996^[151]
• Elaine Beech, state representative^[152]
• Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of theSupreme Court of Alabama^[153]
• Chris England, state representative^[46][152]
• Craig Ford, state representative^[152][154]
• Gary Johnson, minister and political activist^[155]
• Walt Maddox,mayor ofTuscaloosa^[153][156]
• Terri Sewell, U.S. representative^[153]

• Ron Bishop (L, write-in)^[174]
• Lee Busby (I, write-in), retired Marine colonel^[175]
• Jeff "Cog" Coggin (I, write-in), Air Force veteran^[176]
• Chanda Mills Crutcher (I, write-in), minister^[177]
• Eulas Kirtdoll (I, write-in)^[178]
• Arlester "Mack" McBride (I, write-in)^[179]
• Mac Watson (R, write-in)^[180]

• Craig Ford, Democratic state representative^[152][154]

On November 9,The Washington Post reported that four women had accused Roy Moore of engaging insexual 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 SenatorTed Cruz, U.S. Attorney General and former seat holderJeff Sessions,Ivanka Trump,^[183] theNational Republican Senatorial Committee,^[184] former Republicanpresidential nomineesMitt Romney^[185] andJohn McCain,^[186] RepublicanSenate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell,^[187]Ohio GovernorJohn Kasich,^[188]Utah SenatorMike Lee,^[189]Montana SenatorSteve Daines,^[190] andHouse RepresentativesBarbara Comstock,Carlos Curbelo, andAdam Kinzinger, as well as the Young Republican Federation of Alabama.^{[191][192][193][194][195]} The state's senior SenatorRichard Shelby also refused to endorse Moore. Other conservative websites and organizations such asNational 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, PresidentDonald 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 GovernorKay 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 SenatorLisa Murkowski floated the prospect of awrite-in campaign to electLuther Strange, with Utah SenatorOrrin 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 LeaderMitch McConnell proposedAttorney GeneralJeff 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 nomineeRoy Moore refused to debate Democratic nomineeDoug Jones.^{[208][209][210]} Moore turned down debate invitations extended by theLeague of Women Voters,^[209]WHNT-TV andAL.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]

• Doug Jones (D), formerUnited States attorney for theNorthern District of Alabama
• Roy Moore (R), former chief justice of theSupreme Court of Alabama

• Ron Bishop (L)^[214]
• Lee Busby (R)^[175][215]
• Jeff "Cog" Coggin (I)^[176]
• Chanda Mills Crutcher (I)^[177][216]
• Eulas Kirtdoll (I)^[178]
• Arlester "Mack" McBride (I)^[179]
• Mac Watson (I)^[217]

* Unpublished poll released on December 15

At 9:23 p.m. CST on December 12, 2017, theAssociated 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 governorLucy Baxley was elected president of theAlabama Public Service Commission in 2008.^[433] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, becoming the first Democratic U.S. senator from Alabama sinceHowell Heflin left office in 1997.^[16]

Despite losing the state, Moore won six of seven congressional districts. However, he only won one district by a double-digit margin.^[436]

External videos
Doug Jones election night remarks, December 12, 2017,C-SPAN
Roy Moore election night remarks, December 12, 2017,C-SPAN

Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore by a margin of 21,924 votes. Voter turnout was 40.54% of Alabama's 3,326,812^[437] 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. He also won a strong majority of voters with graduate degrees (58-39%), and came close to winning White women with college degrees in Alabama (45-52%).

The state's four largest counties—Jefferson (home to the state's largest city ofBirmingham),Mobile (home toMobile),Madison (home toHuntsville), andMontgomery (home to the state capital ofMontgomery)—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 theBlack 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 fortressShelby County, which Moore won by a small margin.^[438]

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.^[439][440] However,Alabama Secretary of StateJohn 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.^[441] A number of right-leaning websites pushedconspiracy theories about voter fraud providing the margin for Jones.^[442] 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.^[443]

Because the number of write-in votes was larger than Jones' margin of victory, the names written in were both counted and listed.^[444]Luther Strange, who lost the Republican primary to Moore, received the most write-in votes, followed by former White House aideLee Busby, U.S. Rep.Mo Brooks, who also ran in the Republican Senate primary, Libertarian write-in candidate Ron Bishop, and Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions.Nick Saban,head coach forUniversity of Alabama's football team, finished in seventh with more than 250 votes.^[445]

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.^[446] Jones was sworn into office on January 3, 2018, by Vice PresidentMike Pence.^[16] Jones became the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Alabama since former lieutenant governorLucy Baxley was elected president of theAlabama Public Service Commission in 2008 over Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh.^[433] Prior to that, DemocratJim Folsom Jr. was electedLieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2006 over Republican Luther Strange.^[447] The last Democrat to win a federal statewide election in Alabama wasRichard Shelby in1992, who switched to the Republican Party in late 1994.^[448]