The College Democrats campus organization will be representing Doug Jones in the upcoming U.S. Senate election runoff against Roy Moore, while College Republicans are waiting for the GOP’s response before choosing a candidate to endorse.
Moore is a former Alabama state judge, and Doug Jones is a former U.S. attorney for the northern district of Alabama.
Kat Rogers, a senior international political science and history double major from Wetumpka and the president of College Democrats, said the organization is supporting Doug Jones for the Senate seat.
“He (Jones) has had a very productive career, he’s gotten a lot done, (and) he’s helped a lot of people,” Rogers said. “He represents the Democratic Party well, and I think that he’d be good for the state.”
According to a Fox10 news poll from Tuesday, Nov. 14, “49% of roughly 3,000 likely voters are supporting the GOP candidate (Moore) in the senate race, which is a 6-point lead against his Democratic rival Doug Jones who sits at 43%.”
Rogers said voting is important to be involved in the decision-making process and that students need to look into more than the presidential election.
“It’s not just the president you (students) need to worry about,” Rogers said
Everett Bossard, a sophomore criminal justice major from Huntsville and president of the College Republicans, said he was not sure what the College Republicans would be doing for the Senate election.
“Right now, we (College Republicans) don’t know what the Alabama GOP (Republican) state party is doing,” Bossard said. “Right now, we’re kind of just in limbo whether or not Judge Moore is going to be our nominee or if there’s going to be an election.”
Bossard said he was unsure of what would happen to Moore due to sexual assault allegations against him.
According to The Washington Post, “Two women have accused Moore, 70, of initiating unwanted sexual encounters with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.”
Other allegations have been made since The Post published its story last Thursday.
Rogers commented on the allegations against Moore and the organization’s view on those allegations.
“As president of the Democratic club, we try to represent everyone and to listen to everyone’s side of the story, and I think that what’s important here is to remember who is speaking and who is basically having the courage to come forward and why we (citizens) need to wait until the right legal actions are taken before things progress further,” Rogers said.
Bossard said Luther Strange, the junior U.S. senator for Alabama who previously lost to Moore, could run as a write-in candidate for the Senate seat or Moore could resign from his current position so someone else would have to be voted in, making the U.S. Senate election invalid.
“If Judge Moore pulls back and says he doesn’t want to continue with his campaign, and then we (Alabamians) follow through with the election and he still receives the most amount of votes, that election is null and void,” Bossard said.
Bossard said he thinks the first district congressional member Bradley Byrne, fifth district congressional member Mo Brooks and sixth district congressional member Gary Palmer would be good candidates for the U.S. senate seat.
“As the chairman (of College Republicans), I don’t support him (Moore), and I don’t think the majority of our members do, either.”
According to Politico, the Republican National Convention (RNC) has cut off funding for Moore due to the allegations, making it harder for Moore to move forward in the election.
Rogers said the College Democrats and the Libertarians will be hosting a voter registration drive today and Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. downstairs in the Trojan Center.
“We’re (Democrats and Libertarians) going to check to see if you’re (students) registered to vote and, if not, how to vote (in the state of Alabama),” Rogers said.
After fall break, Rogers said, the College Democrats will be canvassing for Doug Jones on campus, and she said the organization has been in contact with the Jones’ campaign team.
Whitney Bowers, a senior broadcast journalism major from Melbourne, Florida, said she will be voting in the U.S. senate election and she said that she is doing her own research on both of the candidates.
“I think it’s important to do your research on both candidates and see what you (students) believe is the right choice,” Bowers said.
Voting for the election will be held on Dec. 12.
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