In a political upset for a historically conservative state, Democrat Doug Jones has won his election in Alabama over his Republican counterpart; Roy Moore. Sen. Jones has since stated his intention to work with both sides of government to tackle the issues ahead.
Doug Jones, whose candidacy chances were given a significant boost after sexual misconduct allegations against his rival, said that President Donald Trump did not need to resign despite other Democrats urging for it.
Sen. Jones said that he could not be expected to vote exclusively in the interests of “Republicans or Democrats”. Jones is first Democrat to be elected to represent Alabama in the Senate in over 20 years.
Jones said that he thought it was incorrect that the expectation was for Senators to blindly vote for their parties interests. He said that it “should not be the case” that Senators are discouraged from speaking across the bench.
Democrats have called for US President Donald Trump to resign after allegations by 16 women that he had sexually harassed or abused them. Jones won against Roy Moore who as accused of sexual misconduct towards teenagers in his 30’s. Despite this he defended Trump’s position that the voters had made their choice.
Jones stated that because the allegations against Trump came to light before the election, people had an opportunity to vote against Trump based on them. Jones urged that American needed to “move on” and focus on the “real issues” being faced by Americans.
The sexual misconduct allegations against Roy Moore turned the Alabama seat into a nation-wide drama during a time when similar allegations were being surfaced on Hollywood and around the country.
Roy Moore has since declined to accept his defeat at the polls, going so far as to try and rally support for an integrity fun to investigate the elections. Moore believes he has been the victim of voter fraud despite having no evidence to that effect.
Jones’ opinions on other issues are largely unknown, especially outside of Alabama. His recent appearances on talk shows have allowed him to introduce himself to a wider American audience.
Jones has however shared his opinion on an upcoming overhaul of the US tax code, stating that he believes the bill has been hastily moved through congress without a chance for proper review. He stated that he believed the bill won’t change enough in American’s economy to justify its own cost.