Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, on Monday, told a reporter with ABC News that embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore should "seriously consider dropping out" ahead of the Dec. 12 general election.

Shelby's spokeswoman confirmed the comments to AL.com.

In addition, according to a reporter with the Huffington Post, Shelby is advocating for a write-in campaign for sitting Senator Luther Strange, the Republican who lost to Moore during the Sept. 26 GOP runoff.

Shelby endorsed Strange before the runoff against Moore, the former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice who won that election by a 54.6-45.4 percent margin.

Richard Shelby says the accounts of the women accusing Roy Moore are "believable."



He's advocating for a write-in campaign for Luther Strange. — Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) November 13, 2017

Shelby's comments mirror those from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who earlier Monday said he believes Moore's accusers. "I think he should step aside," McConnell said about Moore.

Shelby, on Thursday after The Washington Post story surfaced, echoed McConnell's previous statements that Moore should withdraw from the race if allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with teenage girls -- including an encounter with a 14-year-old girl in 1979 -- were true.

Moore has denied the allegations about sexual misconduct. During an interview with Fox News personality Sean Hannity last week, Moore said he didn't "generally" remember dating any teenage girls decades ago when he was in his 30s. He said he didn't remember dating any girl without the permission of her mother.

Moore faces Democrat Doug Jones next month. The winner will fill the Senate seat once occupied by Republican U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.