Times staff report
In an overwhelmingly red state, an Alabama newspaper has endorsed Doug Jones for re-election to the United States Senate.
The Decatur Daily (Ala.) editorial board cited Jones’s bipartisan record of achievement, his support for Alabama’s veterans and his history of working for civil rights and equal justice for all.
The endorsement also highlights Tommy Tuberville’s lack of integrity, his position as a rubber stamp for Trump, and his recent, opportunistic move from Florida to run for Senate without a clear platform or agenda.
The Decatur Daily newspaper has served Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties since 1912. See below for the full text of the endorsement.
“Decatur Daily Editorial: Doug Jones best choice for US Senate”
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones may have originally won one of Alabama’s U.S. Senate seats under the most unusual of circumstances, but he has proved over the past two years to be a capable lawmaker able to work across the partisan divide in the best interests of the state and the nation.
The race between incumbent U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat from Birmingham, and his Republican challenger, former college football coach Tommy Tuberville, recently of Florida, presents a stark contrast.
On the one hand, we cannot fathom why Tuberville wants the job. What is his agenda? What does he want to do? What does he want to accomplish for the people of Alabama?
All that’s certain is Tuberville is a “conservative,” a term of increasingly fluid meaning, and that he will back President Donald Trump, whom he once said was sent by God. But what if Trump is not reelected? Or, what if he is? Trump’s second term would end in four years, while Tuberville would still have two years remaining in his first term. It is simply not enough to go to Washington to rubber-stamp the president, whoever that president is.
And what if President Trump’s policies have a negative impact on Alabamians? That has been the case with his trade policies, which harmed Alabama farmers and led to a taxpayer bailout of the nation’s agriculture industry.
Sen. Jones has opposed the president’s destructive tariff policy.
What Alabama needs are representatives who can think for themselves. Jones has been that and promises to be that in the future. Yes, he has indeed sided with his party’s leadership when he thought they were right, but he has also bucked them. The notion Jones is some far-left liberal simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
While Jones has been in the Senate minority his entire time in office, he has worked across party lines to sponsor and co-sponsor numerous bills that have been signed into law.
The laws will have a direct impact on public health and the well-being of the nation’s veterans.
In addition, Jones was the author of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act, which will hopefully help bring to justice some of the people who committed acts of terrorism against their fellow Americans simply because of the color of their skin.
As a prosecutor of civil rights cases and now as a U.S. senator, Jones has shown both a passion for justice and a sensitivity to the victims of injustice.
Jones has proved he is a sensible centrist. He has even supported sensible deregulation as a co-sponsor of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act.
Regardless of which party controls the U.S. Senate when it convenes next year, Jones has a record that shows he can effectively represent the interests of his constituents.
Tuberville’s record — albeit a record outside of politics — shows the opposite. He has shown a willingness to skip out on his obligations to move on to the next thing, and a larger paycheck.
For all of these reasons, The Decatur Daily recommends returning Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate.
