Sen. Brian Schatz Brian Emanuel SchatzVideo of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral Democrat on Graham video urging people to 'use my words against me': 'Done' Polls show trust in scientific, political institutions eroding MORE (D-Hawaii) on Saturday blasted a reported attempt by some Republican state lawmakers to have Alabama's governor delay a special Senate election on Dec. 12 amid explosive allegations against GOP candidate Roy Moore, likening such a move to that of a dictatorship.

"You cannot delay an election because you are afraid of losing. That’s what they do in dictatorships," Schatz wrote on Twitter.

You cannot delay an election because you are afraid of losing. That’s what they do in dictatorships. https://t.co/EKrOPeXHNB — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) November 11, 2017

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The Hawaii Democrat's comment came after The New York Times reported on Friday that some Republicans were racing to cut off Moore's path to the Senate, including attempting to have Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, move back the election date.

Those efforts follow a bombshell Washington Post report on Thursday detailing allegations that Moore, 70, pursued sexual and romantic encounters with teenage girls while he was in his early 30s. One accuser said the former Alabama Supreme Court justice initiated sexual contact with her in 1979, when she was only 14.

Numerous Republican lawmakers have called for Moore to step aside in the Senate race if the allegations are true, and some have floated the idea of offering a write-in candidate for the office.

Moore has forcefully denied the allegation that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl, though he has not outright denied claims that he dated girls in their late teens when he was in his 30s.