JONES:‘ WONDERFULNIGHT.’ MOORE:‘ IT’SNOTOVER.’

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — In a stunning setback to President Donald Trump, Democrat Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore in Alabama’s U. S. Senate race Tuesday night, winning a tight race in a reliably Red State.

“I think I have been waiting all my life, and now I don’t know what the hell to say,” Jones told jubilant supporters. “I am overwhelmed. . . . This has been a wonderful night.” “The people of Alabama have spoken.” The Associated Press, CNN and other networks declared Jones the winner after Moore had held a slight lead for most of the evening.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Jones was leading Moore, 49.9 percent to 48.4 percent, according to CNN, about 21,000 votes ahead out of roughly 1.3million cast. But a defiantMoore refused to concede. “It’s not over,” Moore told supporters more than an hour after Jones declared victory. “We also know that God is always in control. . . . Part of the problem with this campaign is we’ve been painted in an unfavorable and unfaithful light. We’ve been put in a hole.”

Moore insisted “votes are still coming” in.

“It’s not over, and it’s going to take some time,” Moore said.

Alabama state law calls for a recount if the margin of victory is less than one- half of one percentage point. With virtually all precincts reporting, Jones led by 1.5 points — three times that margin.

From the White House, Trump tweeted his congratulations to Jones “on a hardfought victory” — but added pointedly that “the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!”

Jones’ seat, previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, expires in January 2021.