In his statement, Roy Moore said the election "was tainted by over $50 million dollars from outside groups who want to retain power and their corrupt ideology." | Joe Raedle/Getty Images In video statement, Moore still refuses to concede defeat

Roy Moore on Wednesday evening continued his refusal to concede the Alabama Senate race to Doug Jones, vowing to wait until the state's secretary of state certifies the results in the race.

"In this race, we have not received the final count to include military and provisional ballots," Moore said in a video statement. "This has been a very close race and we are awaiting certification by the Secretary of State."


Moore's refusal to concede contrasted with others who viewed Jones as the clear winner.

President Trump called Jones to congratulate him on his victory and invited him to the White House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and a number of other top Republicans also acknowledged Jones' victory on Wednesday.

Jones continues to lead Moore by more than 20,000 votes.

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In his statement, Moore said the election "was tainted by over $50 million dollars from outside groups who want to retain power and their corrupt ideology."

He added, "No longer is this about Republican or Democratic control. It has truly been said that there is not a dime's worth of difference between them. It is about a Washington establishment which will not listen to the cries of its citizenry — and the battle rages on."

Throughout his career, Moore has refused to admit defeat, even when the end result seems inevitable.

As the chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court in 2001, he installed a Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda. When he was sued over the installation, lost in federal court and then again in appeal process, Moore refused to budge.

It took a couple of years, but Moore’s recalcitrance cost him his position on the court and the monument was removed.

But a decade after his removal, Moore returned to the state's highest court. Just over two years later, a federal court judge ruled that Alabama’s laws against same-sex marriage were unconstitutional. Moore said the judge had no power to issue such a ruling.

Months later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Again, Moore refused to back down. And once again, he was removed from office.

The 70-year-old Moore continues to view those ousters as badges of honor and says he believes that his interpretation of the Constitution means he can never back down from his views on the two topics.