By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Judge Roy Moore for Senate campaign had been rocked by sudden accusations of unethical conduct by Moore 38 years ago as a single deputy district attorney in Etowah County. Powerful Washington powerbrokers, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were demanding that the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee decertify Moore as the Republican candidate in the coming special election. The fate of the campaign hung in the hands of 21 Alabama Republican leaders; when Chairman Terry Lathan and the steering committee voted to defy the Establishment and embrace Moore.
Judge Moore for Senate Campaign Chairman Bill Armistead told the Alabama Political Reporter, “We are grateful for the strong support that Judge Moore has received from President Trump and also from the Alabama Republican Party and many County Republican organizations throughout the state. Governor Kay Ivey’s continued support of Judge Moore is also appreciated.”
“We have also learned that the Baldwin County and Shoals Young Republican clubs have passed resolutions supporting Judge Moore. From the Shoals area on the Tennessee border to Baldwin County on the Gulf Coast Republicans are uniting in supporting our Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate – Judge Roy Moore,” Chairman Armistead said.
But that decision to support Moore even after the allegations was not universally embraced by all Republican groups in Alabama.
“It is, however, disappointing that a hand full of moderate Young Republicans, who control the Young Republican Federation of Alabama, have deserted our nominee and gone against the strong endorsement of the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee which is composed of members from all 67 counties,” Chairman Armistead said. “Frankly, I am not surprised by the small band of Young Republicans who oppose Judge Moore because it is this same group who have gone against the Republican Party platform in the past by taking a more moderate position on social issues like abortion and same sex marriage. I am confident that conservative Republicans all across the state are going to turn out in large numbers to elect Judge Roy Moore to the U.S. Senate on December 12th.”
The Greater Birmingham Young Republicans (GBYRs) issued a statement withdrawing their support from Judge Moore’s Senate campaign. Then the ALGOP Steering Committee reaffirmed their support for the former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice. Rather than accepting that verdict, the Young Republican Federation of Alabama (YRFA) steering committee then followed the lead of their largest chapter by withdrawing their support from the Moore campaign.
The Shoals Young Republicans and Baldwin County YRs both then passed resolutions renouncing the YRFA resolution and reaffirming that their groups were standing behind Judge Moore for U.S. Senate.
“The Shoals Young Republicans is a conservative group of individuals that realize what is at stake in this election,” said Josh Dodd, Vice-Chairman of the Fifth Congressional District for the Young Republican Federation of Alabama. “We understand that President Trump’s tax plan, a repeal of Obamacare, and funding for a border wall will not pass if Doug Jones is in the Senate. Jones does not represent Alabama values, such as the right to life and the right to keep and bear arms. America needs Roy Moore to represent these values and fight for a constitutional majority on the Supreme Court.”
Judge Roy Moore faces Clinton era U.S. Attorney Doug Jones in a special election on Dec. 12, 2017 for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Jeff Sessions.
