In scandal-tainted Alabama Senate race, Doug Jones defeats tainted Republican Roy Moore

[caption id=“attachment_4256451” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] In a stunning victory aided by scandal, Democrat Doug Jones won Alabama’s special Senate election on Tuesday, beating back history, an embattled Republican opponent and President Donald Trump, who urgently endorsed GOP rebel Roy Moore despite a litany of sexual misconduct allegations. It was the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama, one of the reddest of red states, and proved anew that party loyalty is anything but sure in the age of Trump. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4256453” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] The victory by Jones, a former US attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing, narrows the GOP advantage in the US Senate to 51-49. That imperils already-uncertain Republican tax, budget and health proposals and injects tremendous energy into the Democratic Party’s early push to reclaim House and Senate majorities in 2018. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4256457” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] His opponent Roy Moore, meanwhile, refused to concede and raised the possibility of a recount during a brief appearance at a campaign party in Montgomery. “It’s not over,” Moore said. He added, “We know that God is still in control.” AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4256459” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Many Washington Republicans viewed the defeat of Moore as perhaps the best outcome for the party nationally despite the short-term sting. The fiery Christian conservative’s positions have alienated women, racial minorities, gays and Muslims — in addition to the multiple allegations that he was guilty of sexual misconduct with teens, one only 14, when he was in his 30s. Reuters[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4256463” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Alabama state law calls for a recount if the margin of victory is less than one-half of one percentage point. With all precincts reporting, Jones led by 1.5 points — three times that margin. If the secretary of state determines there were more write-in votes than the difference between Jones and Moore, the state’s counties would be required to tally those votes. It’s not clear how that would help Moore, who ended the night trailing Jones by more than 20,000 votes. Reuters[/caption]