Doug Jones

Jones Doubles Moore’s Campaign Warchest With Help of Democratic Fundraising Group

Democrat Doug Jones raised about twice as much money for his winning U.S. Senate campaign as his Republican opponent collected, with the vast majority of the money flowing through an organization that helps Democratic candidates raise funds. Jones’ final report to the Federal Election Commission showed contributions totaling $11.71 million during 2017. Roy Moore, the Republican candidate and former Alabama chief justice, raised $5,152,464. The vast majority of the money collected by Jones – $9.57 million – was funneled into his campaign through ActBlue. The organization, which allows contributors to make donations to specific candidates via its website, helped all of the Democrats who ran for the Senate in 2016 raise money and has funneled $1.95 billion to Democratic and progressive candidates since 2004. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Doug Jones (D), Contributions in 2017 U.S. Senate Special Election

Doug Jones raised $11.71 million in his bid for the U.S. Senate seat. Here are campaign contributions of $5,000 and up collected in 2017 by Jones. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Doug Jones’ Search for Common Ground: Jones Talks About His Intentions, His Opponent and His Route to the U.S. Senate

In his first press conference since being elected senator, Doug Jones reiterated his desire to find “common ground” on both sides of the political aisle and dismissed his opponent’s refusal to concede the election. Jones defeated the twice-deposed Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore by roughly 20,000 votes Tuesday night, a surprise Democratic win in a state that for decades has been considered a Republican stronghold. However, Moore has not conceded the race, telling supporters that “when the vote is this close … it’s not over.” For the most part, Jones’ responses to reporters’ questions were conciliatory, stressing the need to find “common ground” — a phrase he repeated 12 times during the press conference — in the midst of a divisive political climate. “I know I’m just sounding like a broken record (when I) talk about that,” Jones said, “but I just think it is so important that we try to sit down at a table and talk about issues and talk about the things that matter in the big picture … . I want to try to find those issues more and more that we can find common ground on, and let’s just agree to disagree on those issues that are so divisive that it’s hard to even talk to people about them.” Read more. Is There Life After Doug Jones for Alabama Democrats? God and Politics, 2017 Edition: Roy Moore Brings Religion to the Forefront Like Few Campaigns Before It

by Sam Prickett

Jones Brings out Randall Woodfin, Charles Barkley, for Election-Eve Rally

Dec. 11, 2017 — Doug Jones brought out a collection of famous faces for his final rally in the Alabama Senate race. The event, held at Old Car Heaven in Birmingham, featured appearances from Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba, former NBA star Charles Barkley and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in a final push to energize supporters before Tuesday’s election. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Is There Life After Doug Jones for Alabama Democrats?

Win or lose, Doug Jones has done something few would have considered possible not long ago: given a candidate of the Alabama Democratic Party what appears to be a legitimate shot at winning a seat in the U.S. Senate. Jones, who faces off against Republican Roy Moore on Tuesday for the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is mounting a challenge to the Republican monopoly on state political power in Alabama that the GOP has been forced to take seriously. Polls suggest that Jones has a chance – a slim one, but a chance – to win. That is affirmed by most of the GOP faithful – from President Donald Trump to Steve Bannon to Gov. Kay Ivey – showing a united front for Moore, a candidate many Republicans had expressed doubts about. As the high-profile Jones-Moore race concludes, however, a question remains: Is the state seeing an election tied distinctly to Jones, his campaign and his opponent, or is the Alabama Democratic Party being revived as a political force in the deep red state? Read more.

by Nick Patterson and Michelle Love

Sen. Cory Booker Campaigns for Doug Jones in Birmingham

Dec. 10, 2017 — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, visited Senate candidate Doug Jones’ campaign headquarters in downtown Birmingham Sunday afternoon to deliver a rousing stump speech. Booker, who was joined by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, gave a speech highlighting the importance of political struggle and called the Alabama Senate race “one of the most consequential elections in our nation in my lifetime.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Doug Jones, U.S. Special Senate Election

Name: Doug Jones Age: 63 Residence: Birmingham Political races run: None Political offices held, including dates: Appointed U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, 1997-2001. Professional experience: Staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, working for Sen. Howell Heflin, 1979-1980; assistant U.S. attorney in Birmingham, 1980-1984; private law practice in Birmingham, 1984-1997; nominated

by Glenn Stephens

Jones Condemns Divisiveness During GOTV Concerts Across the State

Doug Jones called for a rejection of divisiveness and a change in the “face of Alabama” during a Saturday night get-out-the-vote rally, featuring a performance by local soul band St. Paul and the Broken Bones. The concert was the fourth get-out-the-vote event of the day for Jones, the Democrat widely seen as the underdog in the special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Little-Known PACs Fund a Deluge of Ads in the Days Leading Up to the Senate Election

Alabama’s two U.S Senate candidates and independent groups working on their behalf have raised more than $20 million that they are using to bombard voters with broadcast and internet ads, mail, and phone calls as the Dec. 12 special election approaches. The candidates’ final pre-election financial reports, filed with the Federal Election Commission on Nov. 22, show Democrat Doug Jones has raised $11,707,585 this year, with $10,182,025 coming in since Oct. 1, a few days after the Republican runoff. Republican Roy Moore reported a total of $5,260,974, with $1,767,693 of that collected during the same period. The FEC has not finished processing the detailed lists showing people, PACs and committees and the amounts they gave to Moore and Jones. In addition to the money contributed to the candidates, outside groups and political action committees reported spending about $5.7 million in support or opposition of Moore and Jones since Moore won the GOP nomination Sept. 26. Much of that money flooded in during the final few weeks of the campaign. Some PACs supporting each of the candidates have found legal loopholes that allow them to avoid naming contributors until after the election. The majority of the money spent by independent groups came from Highway 31, a super PAC working to elect Jones. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Moore Campaign Promises Lawsuit for “Patently False” Pro-Jones Ad

Roy Moore’s campaign announced Wednesday morning that it would consider legal action against television stations continuing to air what it describes as a “patently false” advertisement from the pro-Doug Jones Highway 31 Super PAC. The 30-second ad in question focuses on rumors, as reported in a Nov. 13 New Yorker article, that Moore had been banned from the Gadsden Mall for soliciting sex from teenage girls. Moore has denied these accusations, as well as multiple other allegations of sexual contact with underage women. Stories of the ban have been corroborated by some former Gadsden Mall employees and dismissed by others. Former mall manager Barnes Boyle told WBRC that, “to my knowledge, he was not banned from the mall.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett