By Glynn Wilson –
The election of Birmingham attorney Doug Jones as the next U.S. Senator from Alabama was certified in Montgomery Thursday at 1:10 p.m. by unanimous vote of the State Canvassing Board in spite of a last minute lawsuit to try to stop it by Roy Moore.
The board, consisting of Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Secretary of State John H. Merrill, is the state entity that reviews and certifies the results of Alabama’s state and federal elections. The vote was unanimous and broadcast live on Facebook by a number of news outlets.
“I am looking forward to going to work for the people of Alabama in the new year,” Senator-elect Doug Jones said in a statement issued within seconds of the vote. “As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation. I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all.”
Secretary of State John Merrill said his office had received 118 complaints of alleged voter fraud in the Dec. 12 election but determined that no fraud occurred in 85 of those instances, with only 33 others still pending, clearly not enough to have any effect on the outcome of the election.
According to the now official results (see image below), Jones received 673,896 votes, 49.97 percent, to Moore’s 651,972 votes, 48.34 percent. So Jones won by 21,924 votes.
Earlier in the day, Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick rejected Moore’s attempt to stop the state from making the election results official.
Jones filed a motion Thursday in Montgomery Circuit court asking a judge to dismiss Moore’s complaint. Attorney Joe Espy wrote that Moore had no legal grounds for asking the court to block Jones’ victory.
Sam Coleman, Jones new press secretary, called Moore’s last-minute lawsuit to stop the certification of his victory a “desperate attempt” to “subvert the will of the people.”
“It will not succeed,” he said. “The election is over. It’s time to move on.”
“Today marks a new day for Alabama and our nation,” Jones said on Twitter.
He is scheduled to be sworn in as the next U.S. Senator from Alabama in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 3 when the Senate reconvenes from its winter holiday break. The full plans for that event have not yet been finalized and released, but we just learned Jones will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence. We can only assume he will take over the same office used by Luther Strange after he took over from Jeff Sessions. The address is 326 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, Phone: (202) 224-4124; Fax: (202) 224-3149.
Before you continue, I’d like to ask if you could support our independent journalism as we head into one of the most critical news periods of our time in 2024.
The New American Journal is deeply dedicated to uncovering the escalating threats to our democracy and holding those in power accountable. With a turbulent presidential race and the possibility of an even more extreme Trump presidency on the horizon, the need for independent, credible journalism that emphasizes the importance of the upcoming election for our nation and planet has never been greater.
However, a small group of billionaire owners control a significant portion of the information that reaches the public. We are different. We don’t have a billionaire owner or shareholders. Our journalism is created to serve the public interest, not to generate profit. Unlike much of the U.S. media, which often falls into the trap of false equivalence in the name of neutrality, we strive to highlight the lies of powerful individuals and institutions, showing how misinformation and demagoguery can harm democracy.
Our journalists provide context, investigate, and bring to light the critical stories of our time, from election integrity threats to the worsening climate crisis and complex international conflicts. As a news organization with a strong voice, we offer a unique, outsider perspective that is often missing in American media.
Thanks to our unique reader-supported model, you can access the New American journal without encountering a paywall. This is possible because of readers like you. Your support keeps us independent, free from external influences, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for news.
Please help if you can.
American journalists need your help more than ever as forces amass against the free press and democracy itself. We must not let the crypto-fascists and the AI bots take over.
See the latest GoFundMe campaign here or click on this image.
Don't forget to listen to the new song and video.
Just because we are not featured on cable TV news talk shows, or TikTok videos, does not mean we are not getting out there in search engines and social media sites. We consistently get over a million hits a month.
Click to Advertise Here