Most Alabama GOP leaders stick with Roy Moore

MONTGOMERY, ALA. — Most Republican leaders in Alabama say they plan to vote for Roy Moore on Tuesday despite sexual misconduct allegations against the former judge that have prompted others around the country to say he should never be allowed to join the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Richard Shelby is an exception — he said Sunday that the “tipping point” in his decision to cast a write-in ballot rather than vote for Moore or Democrat Doug Jones was an allegation that Moore molested a 14-year-old girl decades ago.

But Shelby’s outspokenness against a man who could become his colleague was the exception rather than the rule.

The accusations against Moore have left many GOP voters and leaders in a quandary. Voters face the decision of whether to vote for Moore, accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers decades ago when he was a county prosecutor, or sending Jones to Washington, which would narrow the GOP’s already precarious majority in the Senate.

They also could write in a name on their ballots or simply stay home. Meanwhile, most GOP politicians in the state must run for re-election next year — where they will face Moore’s enthusiastic voting base at the polls.

The Associated Press tried to find out how Republican leaders from Alabama plan to vote. Most officeholders or their staffs responded, while others have publicly stated their plans during public appearances or to other media outlets.

However, several officeholders did not respond to calls, emails or texts from the AP. They include U.S. Reps. Martha Roby, Mike Rogers and Gary Palmer, as well as state treasurer Young Boozer and state House Speaker Mac McCutcheon.

State officeholders who said they intended to vote for Moore often cited the need to keep the seat in Republican hands.