Roy Moore: 'The transgenders don't have rights'



less Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore speaks to supporters at an election-night rally on September 26, 2017 in Montgomery, Alabama. Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama supreme court, defeated incumbent Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) in a primary runoff election for the seat vacated when Jeff Sessions was appointed U.S. Attorney General by President Donald Trump. Moore will now face Democratic candidate Doug Jones in the general election in December. Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore speaks to supporters at an election-night rally on September 26, 2017 in Montgomery, Alabama. Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama supreme ... more Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Roy Moore: 'The transgenders don't have rights' 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has long railed against allowing transgender Americans to serve in the military. On Wednesday he took his statements a step further.



"The transgenders don't have rights," Moore said Wednesday according to the Montgomery Adviser. Moore was at a press conference touting endorsements from 13 county sheriffs.



"They've never been denominated as having rights by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Democrat Doug Jones) believes in transgender bathrooms and transgenders in the military. I disagree with him 100 percent," Moore said.



Moore's comments came one day after Danica Roem, a transgender woman, unseated a conservative Republican in a Virginia House of Delegates race.

Moore was twice removed from the state Supreme Court, first for defying a federal order to remove a large statue of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse. He was most recently removed for advising judges not to honor the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Jones, a former U.S. attorney, plans to focus on "kitchen table issues" like health care and the economy. As a Democrat, he faces an uphill battle winning in the solidly Republican state. The Jones campaign is trying to appeal to Republicans in the state who are turned off by Moore's controversial statements.



Some Democrats, energized by their victories in Virginia and New Jersey in Tuesday's elections, have said the attention focus should now turn to electing Jones. But Alabama is traditionally Republican. President Donald Trump won the state by 28 points in 2018.



It is not clear whether the national Democratic Party will devote more resources to the Yellowhammer State now that the local and statewide 2017 elections are over.



Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez did not directly answer when asked twice Wednesday if the DNC would send more resources, such as funding and organizing staff, to Alabama. He instead pointed to investments in state parties last month, including in Alabama, to boost grassroots organizing efforts.



"It's an uphill battle. (Jones is) undeniably the underdog and that's the reality of the situation," Perez said on a call with reporters. "Underdogs can win. And I know Doug is fighting very hard."

The special election to fill the Senate seat, vacated by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, will take place Dec. 12. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Likely Republican.



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