MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Latest on Roy Moore’s decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate in Alabama (all times local):
5 p.m.
Democratic Sen. Doug Jones says Roy Moore’s decision to run for the seat again in 2020 “is not good for the state of Alabama.”
Jones told The Associated Press after Moore’s announcement Thursday that the Republican primary in Alabama “just got more divisive and extreme.”
He says the GOP primary will boil down to “either an extremist like Moore or it’ll be an extremist who will be hand-picked by Mitch McConnell,” the Senate majority leader who’s opposed Moore in the past.
Asked if running in a presidential election year could help Moore, the senator said his campaign has always known “the second one would be tough, regardless of who it is.”
Jones had a 22,000-vote victory margin over Moore in 2017.
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2 p.m.
Alabama Republican Roy Moore has announced he is running for U.S. Senate again in 2020 after failing to win the seat two years ago amid sexual misconduct accusations.
Moore announced his campaign Thursday, seeking an eventual rematch against Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. The announcement upends an election viewed by Republicans as a top priority in 2020 and ignores President Donald Trump’s warning that he “cannot win.”
Moore joins a crowded GOP primary field vying to challenge Jones.
In 2017, Moore narrowly lost the special election to fill the seat that had belonged to Jeff Sessions. He faced allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers decades ago.
The former Alabama chief justice has a following among evangelical voters after defying federal court orders regarding same-sex marriage and the public display of the Ten Commandments.
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1 a.m.
Alabama Republican Roy Moore will announce if he is running for U.S. Senate in 2020.
Moore has scheduled a Thursday afternoon announcement in Montgomery.
Moore lost the 2017 special election to Democratic Sen. Doug Jones amid allegations of past sexual misconduct with teenagers. Moore denied the allegations.
President Donald Trump last month appeared to discourage Moore from entering the race. Trump tweeted that Moore “cannot win” and said Republicans need to retake the seat in the once reliably red state.
Congressman Bradley Byrne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville and state legislator Arnold Mooney have already announced GOP primary bids.
A former Alabama chief justice, Moore maintains a following among some evangelical voters because of his stances against same-sex marriage and for the public display of the Ten Commandments.
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