By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama GOP Chairman Terry Lathan is confident that voters will get behind the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate left vacant by Jeff Sessions’ appointment to U.S. attorney general.
On Thursday, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore faced off against former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange in the first and only debate in their highly contested runoff for the U.S. Senate seat. The Republican runoff will be on Tuesday but, whether it is Moore or Strange to be elected, they will have to face Democratic nominee Doug Jones on Dec. 12.
The Alabama Political Reporter talked with Lathan about the upcoming general election race.
Lathan said that she has been talking with a number of people.
Lathan said, “We will come together like a family,” after the runoff and will be united for the general election.
“Are you prepared if Democrats pour $50 million into this race like they did the special election in Georgia earlier this year?” questioned APR.
“What happened there?” Lathan asked.
“The Republican won,” APR replied.
“Yes and the same would happen here,” Lathan said.
Lathan told APR that she had been talking with other Republican officials, and they have discussed a number of different scenarios and that the Republican Party is ready.
Lathan said that the people of Alabama are conservative and they are not going, “To vote for a Senator who would caucus with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, or Chuck Schumer. I have confidence in the people of Alabama.”
Very little national Democratic money has come to aid Doug Jones as of yet. However, former Vice President Joe Biden is coming to Birmingham in October to appear at a campaign event with Jones. Some Alabama Democrats are hopeful that Biden’s appearance supporting the Jones campaign may signal that national and state Democrats intend to come forward with the resources to contest this seat in the Senate.
Last year, national and most Alabama Democrats did not firmly get behind the Democratic nominee, Ron Crumpton, against then five-time incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby. Due to lack of support, Crumpton was outspent by over $14 million and lost heavily during the Trump/Shelby landslide last November.
The last time any Democratic candidate won a statewide race in the state of Alabama was 2008, when Democrats won both chief justice and Public Service Commission president. The last time Alabama elected a Democratic candidate to the Senate was 1992, with Shelby who later changed parties in 1994.
The Republican party runoff will be Tuesday. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters must bring a valid photo ID to participate.
The special general election will be on Dec. 12. Doug Jones will face the winner.
