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Roy Moore announces 2020 Senate bid

By Danielle Haynes
Republican Roy Moore said he's challenging Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat. File Photo by Cameron Carnes/UPI
Republican Roy Moore said he's challenging Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat. File Photo by Cameron Carnes/UPI | License Photo

June 20 (UPI) -- Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore on Thursday announced plans to challenge Sen. Doug Jones in 2020 two years after allegations of sexual misconduct derailed his first bid for the seat.

Moore made the announcement during a news conference in Montgomery.

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"I will run for the U.S. Senate in 2020," he said. "Can I win? Yes, I can win."

Moore, a Republican, was expected to win the 2017 special election to replace Jeff Sessions when he departed the Senate to become attorney general. But his campaign was plagued by allegations from eight women who accused him of sexual misconduct when he was in his 30s, and in some cases, when they were in their teens.

Moore denied the allegations, but Jones topped Moore by about 1 percent of the vote to become the first Democratic senator from the state since 1992.

"Everyone in Alabama knows that last election in 2017 was fraudulent," Moore said. "I think I won the last election.

"After Kavanaugh ... they saw through what had happened to me," he said of the people of Alabama.

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Jones used Moore's announcement to drum up support and donations for his own campaign.

"So it looks like my opponent will either be extremist Roy Moore or an extremist handpicked by [Senate Republican leader] Mitch McConnell to be part of his legislative graveyard team," Jones tweeted. "Let's get to work so we can get things done!"

Among Moore's competitors in the Republican primary will be Rep. Bradley Byrne, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, state Rep. Arnold Mooney and former Auburn Tigers football head coach Tommy Tuberville.

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