Doug Jones Officially Launches Re-Election Bid

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Sen. Doug Jones has barely been able to get comfortable in his Senate position in Washington before a new election approaches. Jones, whose improbable U.S. Senate win in 2017 gained national attention, announced over the weekend that he is officially seeking re-election for a full term.

Jones is the first Democrat elected to the U.S> Senate from Alabama in more than two decades, and was able to do so in an unconventional fashion. After Sen. Jeff Sessions was tapped by Pres. Donald Trump to become U.S. Attorney General, Alabama's then-governor Robert Bentley appointed Luther Strange to Sessions' vacant seat per Alabama law.

Bentley's appointment of Strange drew criticism from people of both political parties because Strange was, at the time, Alabama's attorney general and was investigating Bentley for ethics violations. Bentley was found to have been mired in an affair with a staff member and was using state resources to carry on the affair, according to an investigation. Bentley resigned, but the connection between he and Strange seemed to carry over into the special election for the seat, as Strange lost the Republican primary to former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

What ensued was a national soap opera that involved allegations against Moore of sexual misconduct from when he was in his 30s. Nine women came forward to accuse Moore of sexual misconduct, and national media flocked to Alabama to cover the special election. When the smoke cleared, Jones won the seat.

Now, Joems has launched his campaign for re-election, and his seat has been called one of the most endangered Democratic seats in Congress. The likelihood of a repeat upset has been deemed a long shot by experts.

"The success of our state depends on engaging the power and the spirit and the intellect of our millions of citizens," Jones said. "No matter the zip code you live in, your race, your religion, your disability, your economic status — no matter who you love— we all want to succeed in a world where no one, no one is left behind."

A bevy of candidates have thrown their hats into the GOP race to oppose Jones - including Moore. As well, former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, Rep. Bradley Byrne and Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill are running.