Alabamians to vote in U.S. Senate race

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones faces challenger Tommy Tuberville for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat.

Jones sat down with WSFA for an interview.

“I don’t see my role as a senator as us versus them. Republicans versus Democrats," Jones said. “I see this as I represent the people of Alabama. All the people of Alabama.”

Jones said he has a record of sponsoring 22 bipartisan bills signed into law. He hopes Alabamians will recognize his efforts to work across party lines.

“And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that," he said. "I think we’ve got a really good record about partisanship that people recognize, because it’s the only way you’re going to get anything done.”

His record has sticking points for some Alabamians. For instance, Jones voted against Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

“One, my vote was not gonna matter. They had the votes," Jones said. “It was a vote of principle.”

He calls Senate Republicans hypocrites because they would not consider any U.S. Supreme Court nominee made by President Barack Obama before the election.

However, Tuberville has called out Jones on social media for not supporting the nominee.

“Doug Jones voted against her nomination and represented the liberal beliefs of his high dollar campaign donors in California,” Tuberville said on a Twitter video.

Tuberville said he’ll represent Alabama values more so than his Democratic opponent who is currently in office. Tuberville centered his campaign around supporting the Second Amendment, the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and is against abortion.

WSFA has reached out several times to the Tuberville campaign since July requesting an interview with the candidate. We even sent written questions this month to the campaign about Tuberville’s policy stances, including the Affordable Care Act, police reform and federal coronavirus aid. The campaign did not answer those questions or agree to an interview.

Auburn University at Montgomery assistant professor David Hughes has studied the U.S. Senate race.

“Tuberville doesn’t really have to campaign, because Alabama is so predominantly Republican," Hughes said.

Tuberville has relied on social media, advertisements, and some public events with very little media. One of his advertisements called for term limits and a ban on politicians becoming lobbyists.

“I’m running to help President Trump get elected,” Tuberville said in an advertisement.

He coins himself as a conservative outsider and a close ally of Trump. He has called out Jones for his stances on abortion.

Jones said he supports a woman’s choice to an abortion, at least in the early stages of her pregnancy. He said he’s not in favor of late-term abortions.

Jones has centered much of his campaign around health care.

“I absolutely do not support abolishing the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a pandemic," Jones said. "Good grief, folks, people forget what all the Affordable Care Act has done for them.”

Jones said he doesn’t support Medicare for all, but does support either Medicaid expansion or a public option.

“I think that would help an awful lot and I think that’s what you’ll see," Jones said. "I think we’ll get health care for all people and still allow people to keep their own health plans.”

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