Hollywood opens its arms to Doug Jones ahead of Alabama special election

Jones and Moore are facing off in the Dec. 12 election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year.

Jones himself shared videos on his Twitter feed Saturday featuring actress Connie Britton and actor Keegan-Michael Key, while others took to their personal Twitter accounts to encourage voters to support the Democratic Senate candidate Tuesday.

“I personally think you should vote for Doug Jones,” Key said in one video, reading from a list detailing the Democrat’s positions on different policies. “Do you want to know what Doug Jones is all about? He wants your children to have the same quality education as any other child no matter what their social and economic status is. Doug Jones has plans to reform the criminal justice system. This is a very long list. Alright, I’ll read the list. Doug Jones will fight for Medicare and Medicaid expansion for all Americans.”

The “Key and Peele” comedian then directed voters to educate themselves about Jones’ policy positions by visiting DougJonesforSenate.com.

“Now, let’s learn some things about his opponent, Roy Moore. OK?” Key says. “Roy Moore believes that teenage girls are … I’m sorry. 14 years old? I can’t, I can’t read this list. I’m not even … No. No that is it. That’s the way it goes. He’s banned from the mall? If you’re gay or Muslim or not white … OK. OK. So we’re voting for Doug Jones for United States Senate.”

In another video posted by Jones, Britton encourages Alabamians to go to the polls Dec. 12 to vote for Jones.

“I’m supporting Doug Jones because he has always stood up for justice, and in the Senate he would fight to bring both sides together to discuss the issues that are important to hard working families,” she says. “He would fight for better education. He would fight for lower costs in healthcare. He would fight for an increased minimum wage, and he would fight for women to have equal pay for equal work.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo and comedian Patton Oswalt took to their Twitter accounts to urge voters to support Jones.

“Come on #Alabama you got good in you. Do the right thing,” Ruffalo tweeted Dec. 2.

“For the sake of your kids’ education, please vote @GDouglasJones,” Oswalt tweeted Saturday.

Actress Alyssa Milano signaled her support for Jones on Tuesday when she criticized Moore.

“I think you and I recognize God very differently, @MooreSenate,” she tweeted. “I don’t want your God anywhere near my government.”

Many initially expected Moore to win handily the special election, but the race tightened — and ensnared national headlines — after a bombshell report from the Washington Post revealed allegations from four women that Moore pursued sexual and romantic relations with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

One of the women said Moore initiated sexual contact with her when she was 14 years old.

Three more women came forward and said Moore pursued relations with them, too, when they were teenagers, including one who accused the conservative judge of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.

An eighth woman said Moore repeatedly tried to date her when she was in her early 20s, and a ninth accused him of groping her when she was 28 years old.

In the wake of the allegations, many Republicans denounced Moore and pushed him to exit the race. Others who had initially endorsed the conservative judge withdrew their support for him. He also lost the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican National Committee, though the party eventually reversed course.

But Moore received a boost earlier this week when President Trump endorsed him and, during a rally in Pensacola, Fla., on Friday night, the president pushed voters to support Moore on Tuesday.

The president also is recording a a robocall for Moore that will hit voters’ phones Monday.

But Jones, too, received some last-minute support from prominent African-American leaders, in addition to Hollywood, ahead of the election.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., participated in a special get-out-the-vote effort Saturday with Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Matthew Knowles, the father of singer Beyonce, also spoke to voters at a prayer breakfast Saturday.

“We’re not just voting for a person or voting for a party,” Knowles said. “We’re voting for the perception of Alabama.”

It’s unclear how much of a difference the support from Hollywood will make for Jones. A RealClearPolitics average puts Moore ahead of his Democratic challenger by 3.8 percentage points.