Roy Moore told POLITICO in an interview last month he was "seriously considering" running for Senate again next year | Brynn Anderson, File/AP Photo 2020 elections Roy Moore to announce Alabama Senate decision Thursday

Roy Moore, the controversial Republican judge who lost a 2017 Senate race in Alabama, will announce Thursday whether he plans to run again in 2020.

Moore's wife, Kayla, confirmed the Thursday announcement in a statement to POLITICO and said details would be forthcoming. Earlier Tuesday, POLITICO had obtained a copy of a draft email expected to be sent to Moore's friends, asking them to be at an event Thursday for the announcement.


"Judge has spoken with most all of you on the phone over the past few weeks and is appreciative of your warm support," Kayla Moore wrote in the draft note. "We will be making an official announcement regarding the [Senate] race in Montgomery this Thursday" afternoon.

Moore lost to Democrat Doug Jones in a 2017 special election amid allegations of decades-old sexual misconduct by Moore with young girls. Jones is running for reelection next year and is considered one of the most vulnerable senators of the cycle.

Moore told POLITICO in an interview last month he was "seriously considering" running for Senate again next year, brushing aside tweets from President Donald Trump calling on him to stay out of the race. Senate Republicans have made clear they view a Moore nomination as Jones' best chance to win reelection and have vowed to oppose his candidacy.

Several other Republicans are already running in a crowded primary to face Jones: Rep. Bradley Byrne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville and state Rep. Arnold Mooney are all in the race, and state Secretary of State John Merrill filed paperwork with the Federal Election Committee Tuesday to launch a campaign.