Former Auburn College soccer coach Tommy Tuberville has defeated Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, flipping an Alabama Senate seat that Republicans ha
Former Auburn College soccer coach Tommy Tuberville has defeated Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, flipping an Alabama Senate seat that Republicans have been hoping to retake for a while.
Tuberville was broadly seen as the favourite within the race and had been forward of Jones in latest polls. He saved a comparatively low profile all through the marketing campaign, and targeted totally on his ties to Trump, in addition to his credentials as the top coach of considered one of Alabama’s hottest school sports activities groups.
A lot of his rhetoric ended up sounding similar to the president’s: “Between Doug Jones and me, voters have the selection between a loyal liberal who embraces the D.C. swamp or a dedicated conservative outsider who desires to essentially change the way in which Washington operates,” Tuberville beforehand instructed the Related Press.
Tuberville’s seat is one of some Democratic-held ones that have been in rivalry for Republicans this cycle. His win is a testomony to how conservative the state nonetheless is: Jones’s success in 2017 was due largely to the issues together with his opponent, Roy Moore, who confronted a number of allegations of sexual misconduct towards younger ladies. On the time, many Republicans within the state declined to assist Moore, a key think about Jones’s victory.
Tuberville, in the meantime, had broad Republican backing after profitable a runoff in opposition to former US Legal professional Basic Jeff Periods earlier this 12 months. The seat he now takes is the one Periods used to carry earlier than he left to work within the Trump administration.
Tuberville has backed Trump’s plans for a border wall, tax cuts, and repeal of the Reasonably priced Care Act, and is poised to be a staunch conservative as soon as he’s sworn into workplace. Past his shut alignment with Trump, nevertheless, Tuberville has been obscure about what his legislative priorities will likely be when he will get to the Senate.
“The entire voices of the state of Alabama will likely be heard on the ground of the USA Senate,” Tuberville mentioned in his runoff victory speech in July.