Democrat Doug Jones Hits 50 Percent, Leads By Three Points In New Alabama Senate Poll

Showing that the upcoming Dec. 12 special election race in Alabama is still up in the air, a poll released Saturday shows Democratic senate nominee Doug Jones hitting 50 percent and holding a three-point lead over GOP senate nominee and accused child molester Roy Moore.

According to the Washington Post-Schar School survey, very few Alabamans remain undecided on the race, and likely voters choose Jones by a 50 to 47 margin.

What’s more striking is that on issues that Moore should be trouncing Jones – religious values, morals and abortion – the Democrat is either leading or splitting voters in the deeply conservative state.

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Fifty-three percent of voters say Jones, a former federal prosecutor, has higher standards of personal moral conduct than Moore. In contrast, about a third of likely voters say Moore, who has cast his campaign as a “spiritual battle” with heavy religious overtones, has higher moral standards.

 

Among the 1 in 4 voters who say the candidates’ moral conduct will be the most important factor in their vote, Jones leads, 67 percent to 30 percent.

On abortion rights, an issue that should be owned by any right-wing candidate in Alabama, Moore and Jones are essentially tied, 47-46, respectively.

Other polls released in recent days give Moore the edge over Jones, and a Republican in Alabama, sexual assault and misconduct allegations aside, is always the favorite – but the closeness of the race indicates that voter enthusiasm and turnout will play a major role in deciding the outcome.

On that score, the poll notes, Democrats have a pretty sizable edge.

“By 47 percent to 38 percent, more Democratic-leaning voters than Republican-leaning voters say it is ‘extremely important’ to vote in the election,” the Washington Post reports. “Democratic-leaners are also 12 points more likely to say they are following the race ‘very closely,’ and 10 points more likely to say they are ‘absolutely certain to vote.'”

If the race is truly this close and Doug Jones voters are more committed to turn out, Alabama could send its first Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.