Right about now, hungover analysts are starting to dig through the data from last night’s special Alabama senate race. There’s one number that should trouble those blurry-eyed Republicans: 67.2 percent.
That’s how much of the vote swung for candidates not endorsed by President Trump or Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and it’s a troubling stat for incumbent Sen. Luther Strange.
Though chosen by DC Republicans, that southern son took second place with 32 percent. He finished ahead of insurgent conservative Rep. Mo Brooks with 20 percent but trailed Judge Roy Moore’s 39.5 percent.
Strange now has 41 days before a Sept. 26 runoff to cobble together a majority — a doable but still difficult task. No doubt, McConnell and company will run interference again, pumping millions into political ads. But it’s unclear what role Trump will play in round two.
Congratulation to Roy Moore and Luther Strange for being the final two and heading into a September runoff in Alabama. Exciting race!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2017
After shilling for Strange, the president released a somewhat indifferent statement about Strange’s survival. To bat away Brooks during the stretch, Strange relied on Trump’s support. His campaign seemed to be exclusively about plugging the Trump endorsement in the final days and the results obviously proved that Trump still has juice, as Strange’s survival had seemed to be in doubt.
But even in a state Trump won by 27 points, rerunning that play doesn’t guarantee victory again. This should bolster Moore and worry Strange. In the looming contest, expect Moore to lean harder into his insurgent role, hitting Strange for his beltway connections. Meanwhile, Strange must find a way to win over the 67.2 percent who didn’t fall under the spell of Trump’s endorsement.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
