Democrats win US Senate vote in Alabama to deal blow to Trump

Democrat Doug Jones won Alabama's special Senate election beating President Donald Trump's candidate Roy Moore who faces a litany of sexual misconduct allegations.

Democratic US Senator elect Doug Jones greets supporters during his election night gathering on December 12, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama.
AFP

Democratic US Senator elect Doug Jones greets supporters during his election night gathering on December 12, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama.

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 and a fresh wound for the nation's already divided Republican Party.

TRT World's Tetiana Anderson reposrt

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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.

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"I'm truly, truly overwhelmed," the Democrat said after the results came. 

"I have always believed that the people of Alabama have more in common than to divide us. We have shown not just around the state of Alabama but we have shown the country the way we can be unified."

"At the end of the day, this entire race has been about dignity and respect," Jones said.

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Jones said that his campaign was about "finding common ground," and is encouraging lawmakers in Washington to work together to fund the children's health insurance programme before he is seated.

Jones successfully fought to cobble together an unlikely coalition of African-Americans, liberal whites and moderate Republicans.

Still, 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.

A number of Republicans declined to support him, including Alabama's long-serving Senator Richard Shelby. But Trump lent his name and the national GOP's resources to Moore's campaign in recent days.

Jones polled 671,151 votes to the 650,436 votes for Moore - a mere 1.56 percent difference.

Had Moore won, the GOP would have been saddled with a colleague accused of sordid conduct as Republicans nationwide struggle with Trump's historically low popularity. Senate leaders had promised that Moore would have faced an immediate ethics investigation.

Jones takes over the seat previously held by Attorney-General Jeff Sessions. The term expires in January of 2021.

Moore, 70, who was twice ousted as state Supreme Court chief justice after flouting federal law, was attempting another political resurrection amid accusations of sexual misconduct. 

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