Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore announced Thursday he is running for U.S. Senate in 2020, two years after narrowly losing a bid for the seat to Democratic Sen. Doug Jones amid allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers.

Moore, who was kicked off the bench twice, made the official announcement at a press conference in Montgomery Thursday afternoon with his wife Kayla by his side. He began the press conference with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance.

“Why is there such a fear, such an anger, why such a hatred, such an opposition to somebody running?," he said. "Is it because I believe in God and marriage... and the right of a baby in the womb to have a life? Are these things embarrassing to you?,” Moore said referring to recent comments by national leaders against this pending candidacy.

So it looks like my opponent will either be extremist Roy Moore or an extremist handpicked by Mitch McConnell to be part of his legislative graveyard team. Let’s get to work so we can get things done! https://t.co/S1Z2t1z0sZ — Doug Jones (@DougJones) June 20, 2019

The 72-year-old Etowah County resident’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate will mark his second run, after he secured the Republican nomination but lost in the 2017 general special election. He lost the seat to Jones that December, and claimed Thursday that defeat stemmed from what he called a “fraudulent” election.

“Everyone in Alabama knows that last election in 2017 was fraudulent," Moore said. He added disinformation tactics will not be tolerated and will be punished in next year’s race. When asked if he believed the fraud came solely from Democrats, Moore said he thought there was also Republican collusion.

“I think I won the last election,” he added. Moore also said the people of Alabama “saw what happened to [him],” after watching the hearings involving now-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the justice’s alleged sexual misconduct during his college years. “After Kavanaugh... they saw through what had happened to me.”

Moore’s support during the national race dwindled as allegations surfaced that he had dated teenage girls in the 1970s and he was in his 30s, and also while he was employed as an assistant district attorney. In a report published by The Washington Post, several women stepped forward to allege sexual misconduct against Moore- including Leigh Corfman, who was 14 at the time she said the misconduct occurred. Moore has denied the allegations.

During the Thursday press conference, he again denied the sexual misconduct allegations and said his accusers weren’t telling the truth. “I haven’t seen the women involved. Where are they?”

He’s twice lost bids for Alabama governor during his career.

In 2003, Moore was first removed from the bench after refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments he placed in the Alabama Judicial Building. He was sworn in for the seat for a second time in 2013.

Moore in 2016 was suspended from the bench after a complaint issued by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission regarding his public stances and orders on same-sex marriage. The commission said Moore had violated canons of judicial ethics regarding an administrative order to the state’s 68 probate judges to not issue same-sex marriage licenses.

During his announcement, Moore talked about the Ten Commandments situation. “I’ll argue with anybody... about the legality” of the monument, Moore said. “We have every right to recognize God. That’ll be a main factor in my race."

He also talked about God being tied into the U.S. Constitution.

President Donald Trump last month tweeted that Moore “cannot win” and said Republicans need to retake the seat in the once reliable red state. After making his Senate announcement, Moore said he believed Trump is being pushed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to not support him.

The former judge also said he thinks the NRSC is planning a “smear campaign” against him.

“You won’t find me doing dirty tactics against my opponents,” Moore said. He wished his opponents well.

The Senate Leadership Fund released the following statement after Moore announced his candidacy:

“We believe most Alabama Republicans realize that nominating Roy Moore would be gift wrapping this Senate seat for Chuck Schumer," said SLF Communications Director Jack Pandol. "It remains to be seen whether Moore can escape his baggage without his candidacy collapsing under its own weight, regardless of what groups on the outside do.”

Bradley Byrne’s campaign manager Seth Morrow said Byrne is the only candidate in the race who has defeated Roy Moore in a Republican primary.

“Bradley is a fighter who has won contested primaries before and we are ready to win this fight," Morrow said. "We already have more than 200 strong conservatives across the state on our Grassroots Leadership Team. We’ve had over 600 volunteers sign up since we announced. Our campaign will win and defeat Doug Jones in 2020.”

Click here for the complete coverage of Roy Moore’s charges, his suspension, his run for Senate in 2017 and history of his career.

Judge Roy Moore announced he’ll be running for U.S. Senate in 2020.



In 2017, he lost to Democratic Sen. Doug Jones amid allegations of sexual misconduct. pic.twitter.com/4Ju35Lktei — Hailey Auglair (@haileyauglair1) June 20, 2019

Roy Moore holds a press conference Thursday afternoon to announce his plans regarding the 2020 U. S. Senate race. Posted by al.com on Thursday, June 20, 2019

This post will be updated.