Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore and Sen. Luther Strange advanced to a Republican primary runoff in Alabama's special Senate race, which will put President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's political clout on the line in September.

Moore had 40 percent of the vote and Strange — who was backed by Trump and McConnell — had 32 percent after The Associated Press called the race. Rep. Mo Brooks trailed at 20 percent. Alabama election laws call for the top two primary finishers to compete in a runoff if no candidate gets a majority.


Despite the weighty endorsements, Strange has been locked in fierce competition with the other Republican hopefuls this summer. He leaned hard into Trump’s endorsement to try to make a show of strength in the first round and close in on Moore.

“[President Trump] knows that I am the person in this race that’s going to make this country great again," Strange told cheering supporters Tuesday night.

But Strange, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year when Attorney General Jeff Sessions left the Senate to join Trump's Cabinet, still ran behind Moore — and well behind the majority marker — in the first round.

"This is a great victory," Moore told attendees at his election night party. "The attempt by the silk stocking Washington elitists to control the vote of the people of Alabama has failed."

Moore then pivoted to the runoff, looking to consolidate the two-thirds of the GOP primary vote that went against Strange.





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"I extend my hand of friendship to my fellow candidates who did not make this runoff that will be held on September 26. Those candidates ran on honorable and ethical campaign," Moore said. "... I was honored to campaign with them to make America great again. I now invite them to join with me to defeat the Washington crowd lead by Mitch McConnell who attempted to buy the vote of the people of Alabama with millions of money off a PAC in Washington.”

Moore has relied on a solid base of conservative and religious supporters that grew during two stints on the state Supreme Court, which both ended when he was removed for defying federal orders to take down a statue of the Ten Commandments from government grounds and to issue same-sex marriage licenses. His campaign was optimistic ahead of Tuesday that his committed supporters were most likely to turn out for the Senate primary.

However, Moore has yet to face the full force of the Republican machine backing Strange. Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC run by McConnell allies, highlighted Trump’s endorsement of Strange in a last-minute ad released Tuesday. But the super PAC’s main focus had been on preventing Brooks, a firebrand member of the House Freedom Caucus and avowed critic of McConnell, from overtaking Strange and making the top-two primary runoff.

Brooks' congressional district will become a key swing region in the runoff between Moore and Strange, slated for Sept. 26. The outspoken congressman attacked Strange throughout the primary, calling him a stooge of McConnell and even lightly chastising Trump for endorsing him. Brooks also tried to garner attention by releasing TV ads about the shooting that wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (which Scalise's chief of staff criticized) and defending Sessions during his recent tiff with Trump, but Brooks' campaign was outspent and out-advertised throughout the campaign.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will be heavily favored in conservative Alabama, but Democrats have been hoping to make a stronger-than-expected showing in the special election. Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones won the Democratic nomination outright Tuesday night, avoiding a runoff, after garnering big-name endorsements from former Vice President Joe Biden and Reps. John Lewis, Cedric Richmond and Terri Sewell. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen recently donated to Jones, who as a federal prosecutor won convictions against perpetrators of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, decades after the civil rights movement-era attack.

Jones promised to be independent as he celebrated his primary victory.

"I'm going to be an independent voice," Jones told supporters. "I'm not going to be beholden to a president or a party leader. I'm going to be beholden only to the state of Alabama. Tonight we have taken that first step."

Alabama Republican Party chairwoman Terry Lathan shrugged off the idea that any Democrat could win statewide in deep red Alabama.

"Look, if you're going to sign your name up with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in the state of Alabama, I don't care who you are, that's a problem," Lathan said.